Nothing is Ever Simple
by Aliiiceh
Summary: A sequel to Just Go With It. Viva la Bam and Jackass, featuring Bam Margera and Johnny Knoxville.
1. Chapter 1

**JOHNNY**

The cameras had just stopped rolling as the man in black converse made his way out of the warehouse and into the parking lot. The sunlight blinded him as he headed towards his car and he dug through his pocket to find his shades. He had been in that studio for far too long and had almost forgotten what daylight looked like; he was positively vampiric and hurried into the car as if he might disintegrate should he stay in the light any longer. The smooth tones of Johnny Cash filled his ears as he started the ignition and he heaved a sigh of relief. Freedom. The temptation to light up a cigarette was overwhelming but he resisted. He had not smoked in three months. The streets were surprisingly empty for three o'clock on a Tuesday afternoon in Hollywood, but he was grateful. All he wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep. They had been shooting since four in the morning and apart from a quick lunch break, he had been on the go nonstop.

Johnny Knoxville was halfway through filming a new movie. It had been over a year since his last project Jackass 2 and despite his relief to have finally found work he had grown accustomed to having all the time in the world to do whatever he wanted. Work was good, but freedom was better. That is, unless work meant Jackass. Apart from some extra filming for 2.5, he had not seen much of the Jackass guys since the premiere last year and although he still kept in touch with them all, it just wasn't the same. They were his best friends and he owed his personal success to each and every one of them. Thinking about the guys always resulted in him daydreaming about the good old days. This in turn led to thoughts of a certain female crew member who he had not seen in awhile..

He seemed to make it back to his apartment in no time at all and ignoring the mail and beeping answer machine, Johnny headed straight for bed. Before collapsing into bed however, Johnny checked his emails. There were countless adverts but nothing of any interest to him. Before going to sleep Johnny decided to send Amelia an email. They had not spoken in nearly a month, which was unusual. He knew they were both very busy with their own lives but the thought of losing contact with her made him feel awful.

_Hey there stranger!_

_I do believe we are overdue a catch up! How are things in West Chester, PA? All good I hope. I want to hear everything; all the news and gossip. I'm sure you have plenty. How are the guys treating you? Do I have to come and break some balls? How are the parents/April and Phil?_

_I can't believe I've not seen you since we launched 2.5! That's what, 8 months! I'm dying inside a little Amelia. I hope you've not forgotten me. I've not forgotten you._

_I thought you'd be interested to know that I'm working on a new film at the moment. It's that one I told you about when we last spoke (whenever that was?). It's nothing amazing but I've got some great lines and plenty of screen time so it's all good._

_Have you heard from any of the others? I was just thinking about everyone as I drove back from work. We need a fucking reunion! Speaking of reunions, has Tremaine been in touch about this MTV takeover business. You'd better be up for it or there'll be hell to pay!_

_I figured you'd want to hear about my love life. Well it's nonexistent. I did go on a date the other week with a girl called Laura but the less said about that the better._

_Anyway, I'm rambling. Hope to hear from you soon, I know you're a busy lady._

_PJ_

_xxx_

With a strange sense of anticipation in his chest, Johnny flopped down on the bed and fell asleep.

That evening Johnny woke up feeling unusually bright and energetic; a feeling he would only get during the filming for Jackass. With it being six o' clock in the evening this was a very weird sensation indeed. During his sleep, Johnny had been thinking about the old gang and had decided he was well overdue a catch up with them. He knew a full reunion was not going to be possible for a while due to everyone's busy schedules. Jeff was on a family vacation and Dave and Ehren were snowboarding in Canada. Steve and Chris on the other hand, had recently returned to LA after filming the third season of Wildboyz and he could always count on them to be up for a drink.

Two phone calls later and the date was set. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and kicked back on the sofa, relaxed in the knowledge that he would be reunited with two of his closest friends in just over two weeks time. He flicked through the channels on his TV, not really interested in actually watching it. Sometimes he would leave the TV on just so the apartment didn't feel so empty. For a celebrity he really wasn't living the lifestyle of one. To his surprise he came across a rerun of the first season of Jackass and found himself unable to switch off. It amused him how young everyone looked.

After a while he decided to check his emails again, not really expecting anything new. His eyes lit up, however, when he spotted Amelia's name in his inbox.

_Hi Johnny,_

_All is well here, thanks for asking. I miss you too much though, when are you going to come and visit? I guess I don't really have that much to tell. The show has been commissioned for five seasons so at least I'm going to have a job when I come off maternity leave! I don't know that my nerves will take it though. The guys have been great since the baby arrived but I can tell they're all itching to start filming again. _

_April and Phil have been great, I don't think I could do this without them. Brandon isn't a fan of sleeping and keeps me up every night. Mum and dad have been to visit and that was lovely. Dad kept asking after you, I think you have a new fan! _

_Please come and see us soon, and bring Tremaine and the guys. Life isn't the same without you; I need my best friend around. Your film sounds exciting! I hope I get an invite to the premiere when it's done! I did get the message from Tremaine about the 24 hour takeover and I'd love to be a part of it, don't know who's gonna baby sit though, might have to rope in the parentals. _

_How is everything with you? How did the date with Laura go? I want all the details!_

_Write me back asap!_

_Lots of love and hugs,_

_Amelia and Brandon_

_xxx_

Johnny grinned as he read her email. She's still the same old Amelia, he thought. He did find it a little odd that she had not mentioned Bam at all. He scratched his head and considered picking up the phone to call his best friend, just to hear the sound of her voice but then remembered the time difference and thought better of it.


	2. Chapter 2

**AMELIA**

Amelia stared at the laptop screen after sending the email to Johnny, wondering how long it would take for him to reply. She felt guilty for not keeping in touch with everyone as often as she would have liked, but having a six month old baby was a lot to contend with. She heard the front door slam and sighed in the knowledge that Bam was back. Since Brandon had been born Bam had changed. He went out with his other friends more and didn't come back til late. He would leave his phone at home so she had no way of contacting him, and he seemed more interested in the show than in Amelia and his son. April put it down to some form of post natal depression for fathers but Amelia wasn't convinced. She was just about to stand up and check on Brandon when her phone started ringing. With a sense of anticipation she checked the caller id and saw it was her boss, Jeff Tremaine.

"Hey Jeff."

"Hi Amelia, how's it going?"

"Not bad thanks, how are you? Long time no see!" she smiled over the phone, happy to hear her friend's voice.

"I'm great babe, I'm just calling about this MTV takeover. Are you up for it?"

"Of course I am." Amelia laughed, "Haven't you spoken to Bam?"

"Yeah, but he said he thought you wouldn't want to come over cos you'd be too busy with the baby." Jeff replied.

Amelia's stomach sank and she gripped the phone tighter. "He said that?"

"I don't want to cause problems babe."

"You're not. I'll be there. Guaranteed."

"That's great! You have no idea how much I need you on board. It's going to be utter chaos."

"Great!"

Amelia hung up feeling upset and angry rather than excited as she should be by the prospect of being reunited with the gang. How could Bam suggest that she wouldn't want to go? Of course Brandon was her priority but that didn't mean she was going to let her best friends down. She had no intention of confronting Bam tonight though and she collapsed on to the bed and fell asleep.

The next morning after seeing to Brandon, Amelia checked her computer hoping for a reply from Johnny and was not disappointed.

_Hey babe, _

_It's great to hear back from you so soon. I know you must be super busy with the baby. How is he doing? I promise I will come and see you as soon as I get a break from filming. It's manic down here but I'm doing what I love so I can't complain. And of course you get an invite to the premiere, you can be my plus one? _

_You have no idea how excited I am that you're joining in with the takeover! It's going to be utter chaos and it wouldn't be the same without you! Tremaine said something about putting his foot in it with you and Bam? Hope everything is ok. Oh, and tell your dad I said 'hi'. It's great to have some older fans hahahaha!_

_Laura was a disaster. I won't go in to detail but let's just say I didn't bring her back to my place! My love life is looking bleak but then I'm a busy actor after all. I just don't have the time for a relationship, or at least that's my excuse! _

_Have you heard from any of the others? It's a shame you're not here in Cali cos I'm meeting up with Steve and Pontius for drinks. I'll send them your love. Keep in touch yeah? I miss you too._

_Lots of love,_

_P.J._

_xxx_

Amelia felt herself breakout into a huge smile as she read the message from Johnny. She had always been able to rely on him to make her feel better, even at her darkest times. She shook these thoughts from her mind and thought about how to reply. It was nearly lunchtime and she felt her stomach rumble.

"Hey babe, how's it going?"

Amelia turned around from the computer screen to see Bam standing in the doorway. She smiled as he approached and wrapped his arms around her. "It feels like ages since I saw you properly." She said quietly, nuzzling into his chest. She had completely forgotten why she had been angry with him.

"I'm sorry babe, I've been a bit of a dick lately but I'll make it up to you. Let's go out tonight, April said she'd babysit."

"Ok." Amelia agreed, tilting her head to look up at her fiancé. He kissed her hard on the lips and pulled her up into his arms.


	3. Chapter 3

Johnny had been looking forward to tonight all week. It had been several months since he had seen any of the guys, and now that Steve and Chris were back in the country he was keen to catch up with them. The guys he was working with on his latest project were sound, but not on his wavelength like the Jackass bunch. Johnny stripped out of his clothes and made his way to the bathroom in his boxer shorts. Without being too vain about it he was aware that he had a good body and was lucky that he could drink as much as he liked and not spend all his time in the gym. Johnny flicked on the shower and let the bathroom fill with steam before stepping under the water.

Johnny examined his face critically in the mirror. His five o' clock shadow alerted him to the fact that he was in desperate need for a shave and as he scratched his stubble he was sure he could see a few specks of grey. The black rings under his eyes were becoming more prominent from his continued lack of sleep. The makeup artist on set was a miracle worker. Johnny ran a hand through his unwashed hair and decided he needed a haircut. At thirty five he was beginning to look and feel his age. He knew a lot of men at his age had settled down and were in happy families. Where was Johnny? He could have had all that with Mel and Madison but he had to go and fuck that up. Now he was back where he started, or at least as good as.

He spotted Chris and Steve the moment he entered the bar. This was predominantly due to the fact that his friends were both already so wasted that they were standing on tables, necking pints faster than the bar man could pour them. Johnny shook his head, so much for a quiet casual chat. Chris made eye contact with Johnny from across the bar and jumped down to greet his friend. Steve-O followed suit and Johnny was surprised to see that they were not as drunk as they had appeared.

"Knoxviiiiiille!" exclaimed Steve, embracing Johnny. "It's been too long!"

"I know man." Johnny laughed, allowing Chris to lead the way to a free table. "How's the new show going?"

"Brilliant dude, it's fucking awesome!" Steve grinned. He and Chris had just finished shooting a new Jackass spin off with Jeff and the rest of the crew entitled 'Wildboyz'. Johnny was pleased things were going well for everyone since the last movie; even if he was a little sad they weren't all together. He was still concerned about Steve's drug and alcohol problems but the last thing he wanted to do was bring that up now while they were having a civil drink and conversation

"So how's things with you Knoxville?" asked Chris, punching his arm.

Johnny laughed. "Same old, same old. You two?"

Chris and Steve updated Johnny on their respective love, or rather sex lives, and talk soon turned to the impending takeover of MTV.

"It's going to be fucking insane." Steve grinned, his eyes glowing wildly. "I can't believe they're letting us do this!"

"I know right!" Chris smirked. "We're gonna get away with so much shit with it being live, they won't possibly be able to cut everything."

Johnny laughed at his friends' enthusiasm and felt excitement build up in his stomach about being reunited with whole cast and crew, and of course, Amelia.

As if reading his mind, Steve-O changed the subject. "Got a chick?" Steve wondered aloud.

Johnny shook his head. What was with everyone's concern over his love life recently? Even his ex wife Mel had told him he should start dating after he had dropped Madison off last weekend. "Nah, I'm thinking of going celibate." Johnny joked, in a half hearted attempt to fool two of the closest people in his life.

Chris and Steve-O knew full well this was a lie. What Johnny didn't realise was that since confiding in Jeff about his feelings for Amelia, Jeff had been talking to Chris and Steve. It wasn't that Jeff had intended to let slip about Johnny's secret, but they had been drinking and one things had led to another. Johnny was lucky that Steve and Chris were good enough friends to keep this to themselves. They had not been surprised to learn of his feelings, considering the amount of time he and Amelia spent together when they were filming.

Steve and Chris nodded, not at all convinced by Johnny's attempt at nonchalance. It was time to change the subject. Chris disappeared, leaving Johnny and Steve talking about the takeover and returned with three pitchers of a dubious looking liquid. If there was one thing Johnny had learnt in life it was to drink first and ask questions later.

Later on saw an extremely intoxicated trio of men stumble from the taxi into Johnny's apartment. The bars had all but closed so Johnny had taken it upon himself to host the after party at his place. Johnny had always seen himself as a good laugh and always up for a party, but Chris and Steve gave partying a whole new meaning. Despite being only a little older than the two of them, Johnny almost found himself struggling to keep up.

Back at his apartment, on went the music and out came the whiskey. Johnny was at the stage where he wanted to confide in his friends, still totally unaware that they already knew. Chris was raiding Johnny's fridge while he and Steve O lay back on the sofa, sipping their whiskey to some country music.


	4. Chapter 4

**AMELIA**

"I like this one." Amelia muttered, hoisting Brandon up on her hip.

Rose examined the dress and turned her nose up. "Were you going for the Victorian look?"

Amelia frowned at her sister and continued browsing through the dresses. There was less than three months left until the wedding and Amelia couldn't believe she had not managed to find the right one yet.

"This hopeless." She sighed, turning to April for support. "I can't find anything I like."

"I've found the perfect bridesmaid dresses." Rose pouted with her hands on her hips.

"You would have." Amelia remarked, shaking her head. "At this rate I won't need any bridesmaids!"

April and Rose exchanged amused glances and continued to follow Amelia around the shop. Every little detail of the wedding had been planned by April, apart from the dress. Amelia almost wished she'd left that up to her future mother in law as well. As much as Amelia loved them April and Rose were really not much help with the task at hand. They were impatient and overly critical with all of her choices. What she needed was one of the guys, who would simply give her a yes or a no. It didn't help that Brandon was getting tired and cranky. Amelia was tempted to do a runner when April and Rose had their backs turned but Brandon's crying would have given her away.

Despite already having found the 'perfect bridesmaid dress', Rose was insisting on trying everything on that she saw, so Amelia flopped down onto a seat and watched her sister model dress after dress. She and Rose had similar figure but Rose was slightly taller and thinner. They had the same long dark hair and big eyes, except Amelia's were grey while Rose's were brown.

"I might just close my eyes and pick at random." Amelia joked, passing Brandon over to April as the sales assistant returned with another huge pile of dresses for her to try.

"Come on sweetie. It's your big day. We're not leaving till you find the perfect dress." April smiled defiantly.

Over three hours later Amelia had finally found the right dress. The moment she had seen it she knew it was the one and she was feeling excited about her big day now that everything was in place.

The three women returned to Castle Bam warily. There were more cars than usual parked outside and the sound of raised voices was travelling out of the house. April and Amelia exchanged worried glances and walked slowly towards the front door.

Before she hand chance to take in the scene before her, Dico swung down from the first floor on a rope and landed right in front of Amelia.

"What the hell is going on in here?" April demanded at the top of her voice, looking from Dico, to Novak, to Dunn. There was a huge skate ramp that had been built in the centre of the room and the guys were standing around it with beers in their hands. Amelia scanned the room for Bam but he was nowhere to be seen, however she was amused to see Tony Hawk and Matt Hoffman poised at the top of the ramp, smiling down at her.

"Where's Bam!" April yelled, obviously keen to vent her fury on her son rather than his friends.

Dunn volunteered to act as mediator between mother and son and wandered over casually. "Bam and Phil have one suit shopping. They told us to keep you guys entertained so that April can't interfere." He shrugged, narrowly avoiding April's flying fist.

"This is not entertaining me!" April shouted. "Get rid of it!"

"You heard the lady." Ryan shouted to Glomb, before turning to Rose."Hey babe." he smiled, walking over and hugging her tightly. Despite the distance, Rose and Ryan were still seeing one another. They would visit each other whenever Rose had time off university, and she usually came to West Chester so that she could see her sister and nephew .Amelia sighed at the chaos before her and headed upstairs to put Brandon to bed.

Once he was settled she turned on the laptop to check her emails. It had been a few months since she and Johnny had gotten back in touch with each other and now they emailed most days. Hearing from him was like a stress relief from the madness of motherhood and castle Bam. They had still not seen one another but with the wedding less than two months away it would not be long before they were reunited. She was missing her best friend more and more each day but she had to keep these feelings to herself. Bam would not understand. He had never really been able to understand her friendship with Johnny in the first place and had always been jealous of their closeness. Whatever feelings Amelia may or may not have had for Johnny, it did not matter. Bam was the man she loved and she was getting married to him. But while she loved Bam with all her hearts, Amelia sometimes wished he would be more, well, like Johnny. Bam had a caring side but he rarely showed it. Johnny on the other hand, despite his cool facade, was always looking out for other people and had a heart of gold.

Trying to shake these thoughts from her mind she signed into her email account and her face lit up as she saw a message from Johnny.

_Hey Amelia,_

_Not long til your big day now! Exciting stuff. I can't wait to see you and the guys again. I hope you don't mind but I figured I'd bring Madison as my plus one. She's super excited and it's about time you met._

_Have you found the dress yet? You'd look stunning in a bin liner but I guess it's more traditional to wear white. Speaking of which, I have a little present for you for the big day!_

_Anyway, sorry it's short but I've got to shoot, I'm filming today._

_See you soon!_

_Love PJ xxx_

Amelia closed the email and was thinking of a reply when the bedroom door creaked open. She glanced around to see Bam filling the door way with a huge grin on his face. She stood up and walked over to him, wrapping her arms around him tightly.

"What are you looking so pleased about?" she smiled, burying her face in his chest.

"Me and Phil have got our suits." He explained.

"Me, Ape and Rose have got our dresses." She replied as he stroked her hair.

"About time." He laughed, tilting her head up so that he could kiss her on the lips. "I can't wait to make you Mrs Margera."


	5. Chapter 5

**JOHNNY**

When the plane touched down at the airport Johnny felt his stomach tighten. It had been a year since he had last been in West Chester. Having time away from Amelia had helped him to move on but he had no idea what effect being around her again would have on him, especially as she was now getting married.

Johnny had flown in to Philly with Jeff, Steve-O, Chris, Trip and a few others. The rest of the guys were making their own way there from various locations. It turned out that Johnny's entourage were the first to arrive and they were met by a very hung over looking Bam, Dunn and Novak. Pleasantries were exchanged and they piled in the limo that was waiting to take them to the hotel that would be their home for the next two weeks.

As the limo whizzed along the streets of West Chester, fond memories of filming came back to Johnny and he was both excited and relieved to be reunited with his friends. Waiting in the hotel lobby for their guests from LA were April, Phil, Dico, Rake, Raab, Glomb and Amelia. Before he could take off his shades, April had pounced on Johnny and was fawning over him in her lovely mothering way. Everyone greeted one another without the faintest trace of awkwardness despite the long absence, and finally Johnny made his way over to Amelia who was holding in her arms a little baby boy.

If it hadn't been for Brandon in her arms, Johnny would have pulled her into a huge bear hug. Instead he settled for a peck on the cheek and he could not contain the grin that was spreading over his face at the sight of his best friend.

"Long time no see." He smiled cockily.

"Too long." Amelia scolded him, before breaking out into a similar grin. "I've missed that face of yours Knoxville."

Johnny let out a loud laugh and held his hands up in apology. "You're not looking too bad yourself."

"Well gee thanks." She laughed, adjusting her position with the baby. "Johnny, I'd like you to meet Brandon Jr."

Johnny peered down at the baby sleeping soundly in his mother's arms. Even at this age he looked the spitting image of Amelia. His eyes softened and felt an overwhelming burst of happiness for her. "He's a little cutie." Johnny smiled. "I can't believe you actually named him after that asshole though!"

Amelia giggled. "It suits him."

Johnny nodded and put a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I've missed you so much Amelia." He said quietly. The other guys were busy talking or checking in, and Steve-O was already expressing his desire to continue drinking.

"I've missed you too." She smiled up at him. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too." He let his hand drop from her shoulder and stared into her eyes for a little longer than necessary. Overhearing the chatter between the guys it seemed that Steve-O's request had won out and they were making their way to the bar. "I bet I can tempt you with a glass of wine?" he winked, motioning for Amelia to walk ahead of him.

"Like you wouldn't believe." She laughed, turning to follow the others. Johnny hesitated, watching her walk off. He knew he had an insane grin plastered all over his face but it was impossible to hide his happiness.

In the bar they all gathered around a large round table and began the process of catching upon on one another's respective lives. The drinks flowed freely and every so often Bam, Dunn and Novak would shoot off to pick up another round of guests from the airport. The bar soon filled up with the familiar faces of Wee-Man, Preston, Dave, Ehren, Spike, Dimitry, Rick, Lance, Cliver, Loomis, Guch and several others. This was the first time that Johnny had seen some of his friends in months.

"You fancy going for coffee tomorrow?" Amelia asked Johnny as they stood at the bar getting in the next round of drinks.

"Sure." He smiled, his eyes twinkling.

"I'm going to take these drinks over and then go back to the house. Brandon needs his nap." She told him, touching his arm gently as she said this.

Johnny nodded and helped her carry the drinks back to the table. She bid the others goodbye and apologised for her early departure, before turning to Johnny. "I'll pick you up from here in the morning?"

"Great." He replied, throwing his arms round her and pulling her into a long overdue hug.

"See you tomorrow Knoxville." She grinned and turned on her heel towards Bam.

Johnny sat back down beside Jeff and Spike and watched as Bam embraced his future wife. On the outside they were the picture of happiness but something about Amelia's eyes betrayed her. Or maybe it was just wishful thinking on Johnny's part. They kissed briefly and said their goodbyes before Amelia left with April, Phil and baby Brandon in tow.

The next afternoon, Amelia picked Johnny up from his hotel and they drove in to town together. Most of the others were still fast asleep or nursing hangovers from their reunion the night before. Johnny had been sure not to drink too much so that he would enjoy his day with Amelia. This was not to say that he did not feel slightly worse for wear, and the prospect of coffee was incredibly welcome.

"So, it's the big night tomorrow eh?" Johnny laughed as he and Amelia sat down in the coffee shop.

"Don't remind me." She laughed. "I can't remember the last time I drank. It was definitely before Brandon was born."

"Well you'd be a cheap date then." He joked, taking a sip from his cup.

"I always am." She teased, eyes sparkling.

"Ah so that's why Bam's marrying you." Johnny laughed. The words felt strange in his mouth but he'd had plenty of time to come to terms with the idea of his two friends being married.

"We're not all blessed with your good looks Johnny." Amelia stuck her tongue out.

The teasing continued throughout the afternoon. Johnny was glad that nothing had changed between them since their last encounter. It was a warm summer's day in West Chester, so they decided to take a walk through the park. Amelia and Johnny walked side by side, shades down and jackets off, enjoying the weather. Eventually they came to a rest and sat down on the grass.

"Are you excited?" Johnny asked, a smile playing on his lips as he spread himself out on the ground.

Amelia nodded quietly beside him. "I'm trying not to think about it too much."

Johnny understood. "Nerves?" Amelia smiled weakly and Johnny squeezed her hand reassuringly. "You'll be fine."

"Thanks." She replied, squeezing his hand back. "I'm so glad you're here Johnny. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Johnny smiled but deep down her words twisted painfully around his gut. The more he was around her; the harder it was to ignore his feelings. The touch of her skin against his still created tiny electric shocks throughout his body and when he looked into her eyes he thought he might get lost in them. As she leant her head gently on his shoulder, Johnny clenched his jaw. She had no idea what this was doing to him, this friendship. It was ridiculous really. Hollywood movie star Johnny Knoxville has fallen in love with his best friend. It sounded more like the storyline of a rom-com rather than real life.


	6. Chapter 6

**AMELIA **

It was Amelia and Bam's respective hen and stag nights. Amelia, her mother and sister, April and a few of Amelia's friends from back home were sitting in a bar drinking cocktails. Amelia was enjoying the night but could help wishing she was with Bam and their friends.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, Amelia started to make her way back to the table, only to be ambushed by a familiar figure. It was Johnny.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Aren't you supposed to be with the guys?"

Johnny laughed. "I'm hardly going to miss my best friend's hen do am I? I've shown my face with the guys, now it's time to have some real fun!"

Amelia grinned and hugged Johnny. She was secretly very glad he was here. There was only so much female company she could take. Arm in arm they headed to the bar where Johnny ordered two glasses of champagne.

"To Amelia." He toasted. Amelia giggled, feeling giddy from the wine and cocktails she had been drinking all night.

It was late. The others had left much earlier with April and now Johnny and Amelia were nearly the only people remaining in the bar. They had stopped drinking a while ago and were now deep in conversation about Johnny's love life.

"Come on Johnny, there must be some girl you like."

He shook his head. "Nah, I'm not interested in women at the moment."

Amelia elbowed him. She knew he was joking but she didn't like the idea of him being alone. It almost made her feel guilty that she was happily engaged while her best friend was living on his own on the other side of the country.

"Time to go?" Johnny grinned, standing up. Amelia nodded and followed him out of the bar. It was cold outside and Amelia had not had the foresight to bring a coat. Ever the gentleman, Johnny draped his own jacket over her shoulders as he hailed down a cab.

"Where to?" the driver asked as they climbed inside, grateful for the warm air blasting out of the front of the car.

Johnny looked expectantly at Amelia. She didn't know if Bam was expecting her back at home, and if he was going to come in drunk at some ungodly hour of the morning she did not want to be around to experience it. "Erm..." she hesitated.

"The hotel?" Johnny suggested. "Bam might still be there and if not we can have a night cap with the guys, I'm sure they'll have a spare room."

Amelia agreed, excitedly. She had not had chance to catch up with the guys properly since they had arrived earlier in the week. Johnny gave the driver directions to the hotel they were staying in for the duration of the wedding, while Amelia text Bam to let him know what she was doing.

_Hey babe. Hope you're having a good night. I'm heading to the hotel now so I'll see you there? Xxx_

She put her phone away and sat back in the taxi, feeling better than she had for weeks. The excitement of seeing her friends had pushed any doubts she had been having to the back of her mind, and she grinned goofily at Johnny as the taxi pulled up outside the hotel.

They headed directly to the bar, knowing if anyone was back yet they would undoubtedly be found here. Sure enough sitting around the pool, illuminated by the flood lights were Ehren, Steve-O, Dave, Preston, Wee Man, Chris and Jeff. The scene reminded her of the first time they had met in California before filming the second Jackass movie.

"Hey Amelia!" Steve shouted over to her, beckoning for her to join him at the bar. She grinned and made her way to him, waving at the others as she passed and she spotted Dico, Raab, Tim and Rake amongst the Jackasses. Steve looked excitable and wide eyed as he passed her a shot of a suspicious looking green liquid.

"Absinthe." He explained, necking his own.

Amelia shrugged and followed suit, but the liquid was foul tasting and she ended up spitting it out most ungracefully. Steve laughed and embraced her in a tight hug. "I've fucking missed you babe!"

"I've missed you to Steve-O." She smiled, running a hand over his closely shaven head. "I miss your hair too."

Steve-O laughed. "Where are the ladies Knoxville promised me?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to make do with me, the others left a while ago." Amelia teased, taking a seat on the bar stool.

"That suits me fine babe." Steve joked, puckering his lips up for a kiss. Amelia turned her cheek and let him place a sloppy kiss on her.

"Where are the others?" she asked, referring to Bam, Dunn, Ryan, Novak, Ryan, Jess and the other CKY members.

Steve shrugged. "I guess they're still in town. We decided to head back and get some pussy!" he laughed.

"Or rather, this dickhead kept getting us chucked out of every club." Jeff interrupted, embracing Amelia and kissing her on the cheek.

"Jeff!" she exclaimed, happy to see her boss and forgetting her missing fiancé.

"How's it going." He smiled, handing her a bottle of champagne. "We were waiting for Bam to get back but you'll do."

"Oh thanks, you do know how to make a girl feel special." Amelia joked, examining the bottle. "Shall I open it?"

"Well it's not going to do much good with the cork in." Johnny laughed, coming up behind her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

Amelia shivered but assumed it was due to the cold night and set about opening the champagne while the bartender provided them with enough glasses. The remainder of the guests including Spike, Dimitry, Trip, Lance, Rick, Sean and Loomis had appeared from somewhere and Amelia felt a wave of emotion wash over her. She couldn't believe how many people had come. The cork flew out with a satisfying pop, and the guys all cheered with congratulations. It felt wrong that Bam was not here to share this moment and it confused Amelia that they had not waited for him to return. Perhaps they were not expecting him to return at all. Ignoring these little pangs of worry, Amelia passed the bottle to Jeff who set about pouring everyone a glass and toasting Amelia and Bam.

To distract herself from Bam's absence and his lack of response to her text message, Amelia made her way around the guys she had missed so much over the past year. It meant so much to her that they had all turned up for her big day. Eventually she had greeted everyone and settled on a deck chair next to Ehren, Jeff, Spike and Dimitry.

"It's fucking freezing in Philly, you should have had the wedding in LA." Ehren teased her.

Amelia laughed; trust Ehren to find something to moan about. She felt Johnny approach her and sank into his arms. "I guess it doesn't feel right with Bam not being here huh?"

Amelia nodded sadly. She couldn't find the words to say it but Johnny was spot on as usual.


	7. Chapter 7

**AMELIA **

Amelia sat on the bed and stared at the ring on her finger that was soon to be replaced by a wedding band. She had no idea what time it was but she knew she should get some sleep soon if she was going be feeling her best tomorrow.

Brandon was fast asleep in his cot and she was thankful for being left alone tonight. April had invited her for a few drinks in the hotel bar but Amelia had declined, choosing to stay in the room with Brandon to gather her thoughts.

Things had been ok between her and Bam recently, better than after Brandon had been born but it still felt like something was missing between them. It hadn't been the same since he had left during the pregnancy and now that they were about to be married she couldn't help but wonder if things were going a little too fast for her. Was she really ready to become Mrs Margera? Having a baby was one thing, but marriage was supposed to be a life time commitment. While she knew she could commit to Bam, could her really commit to her?

Amelia was totally lost in her thoughts when there was a knock on the door. She wiped her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face before slowly padding over to the door, very aware that all she was wearing was a pair of skimpy shorts and a tank top. She glanced at her watch and realised that it was nearly one in the morning. She hadn't expected to have any visitors at this time. Who could it be?

She pulled the door open hesitantly and peered round to see Johnny standing there with a goofy grin on his face. His shirt was untucked and his converses were peeking out from under his trousers. She stared at him for a while, trying to not to smile and waiting for him to say something.

"Hey." He smiled, "Can I come in?"

"Sure." She replied and moved back to let him in. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Just checking in on my best friend." He laughed, plonking himself down on the bed. "Oh shiii..." He started, spotting the cot in the corner of the room. "Better keep my voice down huh?"

Amelia grinned and nodded, taking a seat next to Johnny on the bed. She could tell he had been drinking from the smell of alcohol on his breath but she wasn't bothered. Amelia always welcomed Johnny's company.

"So any last minute nerves?" he joked, not realising that he had just hit the nail on the head.

Amelia bit her lip, knowing it was useless to try and fool Johnny. He could always see right through the brave front she tried to put on. "Just a little." She admitted, examining her nails.

Johnny draped a casual arm around her shoulder and she tried not to shudder as the electricity between them ran through her body. "It's normal you know, I got it with Mel."

Amelia nodded, remembering Johnny had been through this too, a long time before she had met him. She was fighting the overwhelming urge to wrap her arms around him and bury herself in his chest.

"Do you think I'm making a mistake Johnny?" she asked quietly.

Amelia watched him carefully as his eyes widened a little, clearly surprised by the question. She stared deep into Johnny's eyes, wishing she could read his mind. She knew full well that what he said and actually thought were often two very different things.

"No." He replied bluntly.

She raised an eyebrow. For some reason she had expected Johnny to say yes. Yes, she was making a terrible mistake and would live to regret it. She had no idea why she thought this and it troubled her greatly.

"Do you remember when we first met?" he asked, pursing his lips into a crooked smile.

Amelia laughed. "How could I forget?"

"You were scrubbing the floor on your hands and knees and I was just about to saw the back off Bam's Hummer." He grinned.

"I thought you were a maniac." She giggled in spite of herself.

"What's changed?" he smirked, elbowing her lightly in the side.

"Nothing at all." She resolved, elbowing him back.

Johnny grinned. "Good. Because when we first met I remember thinking how incredibly brave you were for putting up with all of the guys. You got on with your job and had a laugh in the process. It was brilliant to watch and getting to know you was probably one of the best things I ever did. "

Amelia tried desperately not to blush at what Johnny was saying to her but she failed miserably. "I'm not brave." She laughed. "I think stupid is probably more fitting."

"Be that as it may, you are still an amazing woman and I think probably the only female on this planet, bar April, who can put up with Bam. He loves you and you love him and for that reason you are not making a mistake. You have an amazing little boy together and he needs you both."

Johnny rubbed her shoulder.

"But what about all the reasons why it might be a mistake?" she sighed, unable to take her mind off her doubts.

"Forget them." Johnny told her, his voice strangely croaky. "Do you remember me telling you to give Bam a chance when we first met? I'm telling you the same thing now."

Amelia nodded. He was probably right. Johnny was usually right about most things, she mused as she stared at his face. Although he was smiling at her, there was something about the look in his eyes that betrayed him happy exterior. Maybe he was just tired, she thought.

"Are you ok Johnny? You look a bit...tired."

"I'm fine." He croaked. "Anyway, I've got to go. Madison's flying in early in the morning and I don't want her to get cranky with me for missing the flight." He grinned. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks Johnny." She replied, standing up with him as he made his way to the door. Without warning she wrapped her arms around him tightly and held on to him as if she would never see him again.

Eventually she loosened her grip and her arms fell to her side. Johnny bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek, just missing her lips.

"Love you babe." He smiled softly before disappearing out of the door.

Amelia fell back down on the bed and put her head in her hands. Strangely, Johnny's visit had not put her mind at rest in the slightest. If anything she was having more doubts about her big day but she could not explain why. Perhaps it was down to that look of sadness in Johnny's eyes. It was almost as if he was saying one thing but thinking another. Did he actually think that she was making a mistake? But surely he would have told her so. He wouldn't want to see her unhappy.

She briefly remembered the time when they had kissed after Bam had left during her pregnancy. She wasn't sure why she was thinking of that now and it troubled her greatly. She had kept the kiss to the back of her mind for at least a year. It had been for the best. There was no point in dwelling on it.


	8. Chapter 8

**JOHNNY**

Johnny left Amelia's room, closing the door behind him. He had not let it show in front of her, but he wanted to kick himself for telling Amelia to go ahead with the wedding. He knew better than anyone that Bam was probably going to fuck it up, but Johnny had been selfish and saw Amelia getting married as a reason for him to move on and get over whatever feelings he had for her. It was stupid reasoning, and he did not wish her to be unhappy. Why had he said it? It would have been the perfect opportunity to reveal his feelings, but he was an idiot.

He was reminded of the time he first met Amelia and had been persuading her to give Bam a chance. That was before he had any idea of the feelings he would harbour for her. Instead, he had seen the way Bam was completely smitten with her and had wanted them to realise their feelings for one another. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If only he had known how Bam would royally fuck everything up.

Instead of heading back to his own room, Johnny made his way to the hotel bar, where he seemed to be spending most of his time. Bam was perfectly aware of Johnny's feeling towards his fiancée and the lower profile he kept from now on the better. Johnny was surprised to see Dunn and Tremaine sitting at the bar. He approached them and took a seat by Jeff.

"Hey Knoxville, we were surprised you weren't down here already." Dunn laughed as Johnny ordered a beer.

He shrugged. "I went to see Amelia."

Dunn and Tremaine exchanged looks. Both men knew how Johnny felt about her. Jeff was one of his closest friends and he had confided in him from the start. Dunn, on the other hand, was Bam's best friend and although he knew how Johnny felt, it didn't mean he had to support him. Johnny could tell Jeff was dying to say something but thought the better of it with Dunn being around.

"I know Bam's my closest friend and everything and you probably think I'm gonna stick up for him on this but I'm not. He's a dick and the way he's been acting recently he doesn't deserve Amelia. But the thing is, I've been there from the start and I know he really does love her. He's just got a funny way of showing it. You can say what you like about the situation, but now there's a kid involved I think it's just best if we leave them to work it all out."

Johnny and Jeff stared at Dunn in silence for a few minutes, letting his words sink in. Johnny knew he was right but it was no comfort for how he was currently feeling. Human beings are such selfish creatures, Johnny thought.

He opened his mouth to say something but Tremaine beat him to it. "You're right Dunn, Bam's one of us, first and foremost, but we all love Amelia. She's one of us too and none of us want to see her get hurt. There's no need to rush into getting married."

Dunn nodded in agreement with Jeff, and Johnny once again tried to cut in but was interjected by Dunn. "I see your point but considering the wedding is tomorrow it's a little late to be having doubts don't you think?"

"Who says she's having doubts?" demanded Johnny, finally getting a word in. "You both think you know how she feels and what she wants but you have no idea."

Dunn and Tremaine stared at Johnny in surprise, not having expected such an outburst. "Dude, we didn't mean..." Dunn started, but Johnny stopped him halfway through.

"I'm sorry, I just...I really care about Amelia and I don't want her to get hurt. I know what you both think but I just went in there and told her in no uncertain terms that she had to go through with it tomorrow. She's got the baby to think about. But do you know what; I didn't say that with her best interests in mind. I said that because if she marries Bam, that's it. The end. I get to move on with my life. And you have no idea how much it fucking hurt to do that to her. I know Bam's going to mess up and she's going to get hurt, but I'm a selfish fucking cunt."

This time neither Jeff nor Dunn had anything to say in response. The bartender passed Johnny another beer, which he promptly necked in one go. He slammed the bottle down on the bar and stalked away to the lobby. By the time he returned to his room, Johnny realised he was crying. It was totally out of character for him, but then so were these feelings churning in the pit of his stomach. He had never cared for someone as he did for Amelia. He loved her deeply and would have given anything to be with her, but it was so much more than that. He would have taken a bullet for her.

Johnny went straight into the bathroom and splashed some water over his tear stained face. He was glad no one could see him now. Johnny Knoxville didn't cry, not even when being hit in the balls with a paintball gun. P J Clapp on the other hand, he was a crier. He cried late at night when no one was around to see or hear him. He cried himself to sleep from the heartache that was burning inside his chest and that hurt more than any bull or broken bone.

Finally Johnny pulled himself together and got into bed. Tomorrow was the wedding and he was going to have to be strong for Amelia, even if he couldn't be strong for himself. Once it was all over he could crawl back on to the plane to LA and get on with his life. He would see Amelia from time to time but she would be Amelia Margera and he was going to have to deal with that.

The next morning Johnny awoke to the most horrific of hangovers. He had not realised how much he had drank the night before and regretted it instantly. He dragged himself out of bed and risked a brief glance in the mirror. His eyes were bloodshot and the skin around them sallow. Sunglasses were not going to be acceptable during the wedding, he realised. Where was a makeup artist when you needed one? He was glad that he would not be playing a prominent part in the wedding, unlike Dunn and their respective families. It would make a change to not be under the spot light. With weary legs, Johnny forced himself under the shower and the memories of the night before had come flooding back. He had not exactly poured his heart out to Jeff and Dunn, but he had certainly left them with cause for concern. He wondered if Dunn would tell Bam what he had said.

As he returned to the bedroom wrapped in nothing but a towel, Johnny found himself face to face with Jeff, Steve and Chris.

"What's going on?" he exclaimed, forcing a grin.

"We wanted to make sure you were ok." Jeff said calmly. "You had quite a lot to drink last night and you're supposed to be picking Madison up in an hour."

Johnny grimaced. He knew why they were really there; to make sure he made it to the wedding and or did not cause a scene. "You guys have little faith." He joked. "I'm absolutely fine and to be perfectly honest, I'm a little upset that you think I need to be babysat."

"Now come on dude, no one's saying that." Jeff argued, throwing his hands up. "We just want to know that we're here for you."

Johnny looked at the blank expressions on Chris and Steve's faces. Were they really here to 'support' him or had Jeff dragged them along for man power, he wondered? Steve didn't seem to know what day it was, never mind what he was doing in this hotel. "Listen Jeff, I'm fine. I don't know what you think is going on in my head but I assure you, you've got the wrong end of the stick. Whatever I said last night was just the drink talking. I'm over the fucking moon for Amelia and Bam, they'll be very happy together."

It was a big mistake thinking he could fool Jeff. Not only had it been obvious the previous night that what Johnny had said was completely serious, but to claim that he was 'over the fucking moon' was ludicrous. Even the semi-functioning Steve-O could tell he was bullshitting.

"Don't bullshit a bullshitter dude." Steve laughed.

"What do you want me to say exactly? Confess my unrequited love for her? Where is that going to get me? It's ridiculous. Can you not just let me deal with this on my own?" Johnny sighed, becoming frustrated with his well meaning friends.

Jeff looked at Steve and Chris who seemed equally as prepared to surrender. "Sorry man. We'll see you down there later."Jeff placed a hand on Johnny's shoulder.

Johnny nodded silently, but he caught Jeff's eye and gave him an apologetic smile. He knew his friends were only trying to help but this was something he had to do on his own.

His only regret was that he had no idea how Amelia really felt.


	9. Chapter 9

**AMELIA**

"You ready sis?" grinned Rose, handing Amelia her bouquet of flowers.

Amelia nodded, drawing in a deep breath. It was now or never. She took her father's arm and they made their way down to the hotel lobby.

Amelia felt like passing out when she caught a glimpse of the amount of people gathered in the room. So much for a quiet family wedding, she thought as she swallowed the lump in her throat. Amelia had never enjoyed being the centre of attention, but there was simply no escaping it today. She glanced at her dad who seemed equally surprised by the turn out but much less fazed. He grinned at her and she tried to match his enthusiasm but she really felt like she might be sick.

As they entered the room, Amelia immediately sought out familiar faces. As the music started, everybody in the room turned to look at her and she could feel her face flush with embarrassment. Her dad gripped her arm tighter as they started walking, picking up on her nerves. She felt relief wash over her as she spotted her mother standing with April, Phil, Jess and Raab on the front row and on the opposite side of the aisle she saw Rake, Novak, Johnny, Madison, Steve and Chris. Amongst the numerous guests, many of which she did not recognise, Amelia picked out the friendly smiles of the rest of her Jackass crew.

There at the front, with his best man Dunn was her soon to be husband, Bam. Amelia broke out into a huge grin as she saw his face beaming proudly at her from the other end of the room. She picked up her pace a little and it was not until her dad placed her hand in Bam's that her breathing returned to normal. She felt safe in his presence and her nerves began to dissipate. As the guests sat down and everyone turned to face the registrar, Amelia grinned at Rose. The moment was finally upon them.

The ceremony seemed to be over in a matter of seconds and before she knew it they had been pronounced Mr and Mrs Margera. Her mother and April were crying their eyes out as everyone wished the happy couple well. Amelia did not have time to have any doubts now and instead she resolved to enjoy her big day.

After what seemed like a life time, the guests stopped fawning over Amelia and she shrank into the background, glad to have a little time to herself. She had no idea what had happened to Bam after the first dance and cutting the cake. She had watched him slowly get more and more intoxicated and it saddened her that he could not go one night, one special night, without getting into a mess.

It was getting late and Amelia made her excuses as she headed back up to the hotel room to put Brandon to bed. He was excited by the music and the strangers and she knew she would have a hard time getting him to settle. She sat by the cot, humming a lullaby when she heard the door open and Bam enter the room.

"I was wondering where you had gotten to Mrs Margera." He grinned, approaching her slowly.

"Just seeing to Brandon." She smiled, before he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his strong arms around her. She buried her head in his warm neck and inhaled the scent of wine and cigarettes. They stood in a motionless embrace, breathing one another in. This was the first moment they had to themselves all day. It was silly considering it was supposed to be their special day.

"Are you having a good day?" he whispered into her ear. His hot breath tickled her neck and she still felt the shivers run through her body whenever he was this close to her.

"Yes." She whispered in response. Bam pulled back and tilted her head towards his so that their lips met. They kissed passionately for an eternity before they finally drew apart, gasping for air. Any negative thoughts she had been having last night had completely vanished now. All it took was for Bam to show her his true feelings and make her feel wanted.

"There'll be more of that later." He winked. "But we'd better get back downstairs to our party."

Amelia nodded and kissed her now softly sleeping baby goodnight, before following her new husband out of the room. April and her mother had agreed to take it in turns to check on Brandon throughout the night to keep Amelia's mind at rest.

Back down in the hotel she was ambushed by a considerably drunken Jeff, Trip and Spike who were trying to sign her up for a third Jackass film.

"Come on Amelia, we need you on board!" Spike laughed.

"Yeah..." Jeff agreed, holding up an empty champagne glass. "You're the only one with any sex appeal!"

"You know I'll be there boys." She laughed, "But let's get the takeover out of the way first yeah?"

Trip embraced her in a bone crushing hug before she could scramble away to find the rest of the guys. Chris and Steve had already stripped down to their shiny little man thongs and were throwing some exotic shapes on the edge of the dance floor as close as possible to the bar. Amelia paused to watch them aggravating one of Bam's aunts before looking around the room for her other friends.

Ehren and Dave were dancing with their respective girlfriends. Amelia was still amazed that Dave had ever managed to find himself a girlfriend after some of the more disgusting stunts he had performed for the films. She had obviously never watched any of them. Madison was sitting with April. Johnny had still not introduced her to his daughter.

Speaking of her best friend, she hadn't seen Johnny for a while and Preston directed her to the garden area where Johnny was sitting alone at a table. He was staring at an empty glass as if wishing it to fill itself. Amelia silently took a seat beside him and touched his arm.

"You ok Knoxville?" she smiled, handing him a fresh drink.

He looked up at her with shiny eyes and if she hadn't known better she would have thought he had been crying. "Yeah I'm fine. I just fancied a bit of fresh air." He smiled weakly.

Amelia was not convinced but decided to let it go. She took a sip from her own glass and gazed up at the clear night sky.

"Beautiful night." Johnny remarked, echoing her thoughts.

Amelia nodded. "It is."

"Amelia..." he started, still staring at his glass.

"Yeah?"

"Are you happy?" he asked seriously.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering why he was asking her this. "Yes." She replied finally, with as much conviction as she could manage.

"Good." He smiled a little more firmly. "As long as you're happy then nothing else matters."

Amelia raised an eyebrow at his strange comment. "Are you sure you're ok Knox?" she frowned.

"Not really." He sighed, raising his hands to his head. "Walk with me?"


	10. Chapter 10

**JOHNNY**

Johnny and Amelia walked side by side through the grounds of the hotel. Johnny knew he had been drinking too much and that this was probably the worst timing in the world.

"So what's wrong Johnny?" Amelia asked, concernedly as they came to a halt at the edge of the garden. They sat down on a bench which looked back at the hotel were the disco lights were still flashing and music could be heard faintly.

Johnny sighed and realised he had no idea what he was going to say to her. He wasn't sure if he could keep on pretending that he had no feelings for, but he did not want to ruin her big day. He was a man torn and he hated it.

"I'm a dick Amelia ." he groaned, rubbing his head in frustration.

Amelia wrapped her arms around him tightly and stroked his hair. She had a suspicion that he was not as happy as he sometimes made out, but she had never seen him like this. Johnny had always been the strong one and she hated to see him falling apart like this.

After a while of sitting in silence, Johnny pulled away from Amelia and looked her in the eyes. He didn't know what to do and the alcohol in his system was making it difficult for him to think rationally. We could he not just let his feelings for her remain buried? Why was he intent on bringing them up and offering himself on a silver platter for rejection?

"Johnny." Amelia said quietly. "I know something is wrong and you don't have to tell me but I just want you to know that I'm here for you like you've been there for me. You're my best friend and I love you with all my heart. It kills me to see you like this." She stroked his cheek gently.

Her words clouded his head and he found himself lost in the moment. All he could see and think of was the beautiful woman in the wedding dress sitting before him and he lost all sense and reasoning. He lifted his hand gently so that it rested on her cheek and he leant forward slowly until their lips were touching.

He knew instantly that it was a mistake but he was surprised that she did not pull away. Instead she kept her hand in place and allowed him to kiss her gently. Just like that day over a year ago, Johnny was unable to control himself and so it seemed was Amelia. Johnny deepened the kiss, expecting Amelia to rebuff him any second but she didn't.

After what seemed like a lifetime Amelia pulled away. She stared at Johnny with a worried expression across her face. She looked as if she was torn between running away and burying her head in shame.

"You don't need to say it Amelia. I know." He smiled weakly as she bit her lip. It was a mistake.

This time Amelia brought her hands to her head and Johnny wanted to reach out and comfort her before remembering that he was the problem.

"I'm sorry Amelia. That should never have happened."

"No it shouldn't have." She replied and he thought he heard her sigh, before standing up and making her way back to the hotel.

Johnny was unusually quiet during the plane journey back to LA. Not that he needed to provide entertainment; Chris and Steve were more than enough for anyone to handle and it was purely Jeff's miraculous reasoning with the stewards that had stopped them from being kicked off. He sat with his shades on and his head against the window, trying desperately to block out the events of a few days ago. He wasn't sure if anyone but Jeff knew what had happened, but everyone was giving him space.

How could he have been such an idiot? Amelia was his best friend and now he had almost certainly destroyed that. She did not feel the same way as he did, why could he not accept that?

"Dude, you ok?" Jeff asked quietly, shaking Johnny from his thoughts.

Johnny grunted in response. He was not in the mood to talk. Jeff had always been able to read him like a book, for which he was often grateful. There was no point trying to fool him. Jeff simply nodded his head and put his earphones back in, ready to listen when Johnny decided he wanted to talk.

The journey was excruciatingly long, as if the plane was purposely trying to frustrate Johnny even further. He could not contain his relief as his feet touched ground on the runway and he practically jogged through security with Madison at his heels and out of the airport so that he could light up a cigarette. It took several minutes for Jeff and the others to catch up with him.

Johnny dropped Madison back at Mel's before returning home. He did not stop to chat as all he wanted to do was get home and sleep. Once home, he stormed through the front door, slammed it shut and grabbed a beer from the fridge. Yes, he was going to drown his sorrows in the only way he knew how.

After at least a dozen cans of beer Johnny decided to check his emails. He was foolish to think that she would have emailed him. She had not even spoken to him the morning after the wedding and had certainly not text or rang him. Maybe he should contact her just to apologise? What's the worst that could happen? He was already convinced he had permanently damaged their friendship so what harm was an apologetic email going to do?

Johnny grimaced as he wrote the email, knowing full well it was a lie. Yes he had been drunk and it was a mistake but he had wanted it to happen, somewhere at the bottom of his heart. Ever since he had kissed her that day over a year ago, a spark had gone off in his head and he had known that he was in love with her. Ever since then he had lived with this knowledge and tried to bury it away. Seeing her at the wedding brought all the feelings back up and it was more than he could contend with.


	11. Chapter 11

**AMELIA**

"Amelia! Have you seen my goddamn keys?"

Amelia cursed under her breath, not wanting to wake Brandon. This was the fourth time Bam had stampeded up the stairs, demanding to know where his keys were. "No Bam." She repeated.

Bam yelled several choice words before Amelia heard the front door slam shut. "Thank god for that." She sighed to her sleeping baby, stifling a yawn.

Amelia had been shattered since the wedding. Her sleepless nights were no longer down to Brandon but rather her own mind. It had been working in over drive since Johnny had kissed her. Amelia had barely spoken to Johnny since the wedding. She knew she was just as much to blame for what happened as he was, but for some reason she could not bring herself to face up to this. How could she have betrayed Bam on their wedding day? The guilt was eating away at her and in any other circumstance Johnny would have been the first person she would turn to. As it was, she kept everything inside and tried to get on with married life.

Her initial opinion was that it was very much like life before the wedding. She and Bam would have their little arguments but at the end of the day they loved one another and that was all that mattered. Or at least that's what Amelia kept telling herself. She wasn't sure if it was just the guilt over kissing Johnny and the fact that she'd even had doubts about the wedding in the first place, but she began to feel distant around Bam.

He was understandably busy with arranging the next season of the show, but even when they spent time together it felt as if neither of their minds were really there. Despite this nagging in the back of her mind, Amelia was determined that they would get through this difficult patch and come out of the other side stronger than ever. After all, that's what marriage was all about, wasn't it?

Knowing that it was safe to go downstairs now that Bam and his bad mood had left the building, Amelia made her way to the kitchen and poured herself some coffee. She could still not get used to Castle Bam being this quiet. She sometimes missed the constant chaos that took place when she had first arrived. It was not the same without waking up every morning to some sort of prank or explosion. Amelia knew that the guys had toned their antics down when Brandon was first born, but she missed the company and now he was a little older she wished they would all hurry up and come back.

Ryan and Raab were still living in the castle, but most of the time they would be outside causing havoc while Amelia was with Brandon. On several occasions Amelia would leave him with April and Phil and go and help them film, but it seemed as if they were afraid to involve her anymore, as if she was fragile and breakable now that she had given birth. This annoyed her and it felt as if her friends were drifting away from her now that she was a mother. Being left in the house alone was making her cranky and claustrophobic.

She had no regrets about Brandon, of course. She was a young mother but Brandon was the best thing that had ever happened to her and she loved him more than anything in the world. She knew that Bam had meant no harm in telling Jeff that she might not be up for the takeover, but she was gagging to get back to work and prove herself again. Jeff understood completely. He had never underestimated her and was encouraging her to get stuck in. He had even offered her work on some of the other projects that Dickhouse was planning.

Amelia rubbed her head as she sat at the kitchen table, mulling over her thoughts. The house was so goddamn quiet, it creeped her out a little. Where was Dico in his pirate outfit when she needed him? As if someone had read her mind, the backdoor swung open and Amelia lifted her head to see April and Phil walk in.

"Hey sweetie, you ok?" April smiled warmly.

Amelia nodded and smiled back at April. There was no point in sharing these thoughts, she knew they were silly. "Fine thanks Ape. Bam's gone out if you're after him. I have no idea where he is or when he'll be back."

April laughed. "Oh we're not here for Bam, we're here for you. We saw Bam and the others down at the lake practising some stupid things and it's such a lovely day so I figured you should go and supervise. Let's make a trade. We'll watch Brandon and you make sure they don't break anything?"

Amelia's eyes lit up and she could not contain her glee. "You sure Ape?" she asked.

"Of course. I know how rubbish it must be when they're all outside having fun. Just because you've got a baby now doesn't mean you're not allowed a bit of fun too."

Amelia grinned and stood up to hug April. She really was a saint. After kissing her son goodbye and grabbing a jacket and the camera, Amelia bounded outside and jumped into her car. This was exactly what she needed right now; some quality time with the boys and a distraction from her guilt.

She found them at the lake, just as April had said. She saw big wooden ramps and Glomb, which was never a good sign. The guys were sitting on the grass, watching as Bam and Novak skated off the ramp into the water. They had not heard her pull up so she approached quietly from behind and leapt on Dunn, scaring the crap out of him

"Holy shit Amelia!" he gasped, eyes wide with surprise. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

Amelia and the others laughed and she apologised, wrapping her arms around Dunn. "Sorry Ryan, I was just so happy to see you." She grinned.

"What are you doing here? Didn't think you had time for us now you've been promoted to 'mummy'" Dunn teased.

"Brandon says you can share me." She winked. "And April says you need babysitting more than he does."

The guys laughed and Amelia watched as Bam climbed out of the lake and walked over with his arms open for a hug. She raised an eye at his soaked clothes and shook her head.

"Oh no you don't Margera." She laughed. "I did not come here to get wet."

She knew resistance was futile, especially when Bam's eyes were glinting and he was grinning evilly. He embraced her and she felt the water soak through to her own clothes. Once she was sufficiently wet, Bam jogged off to continue skating and Amelia took a seat by Dunn and set up the camera. As they filmed Bam and Novak, Amelia felt more at ease than she had since the wedding. She still fit in perfectly with the guys and their banter was distracting her from thinking about Johnny.

Over the past six weeks, Johnny had tried ringing her and emailing her several times, but she hadn't even opened the messages yet. She wasn't quite sure why. Perhaps she didn't want to know the truth. Still, not letting him have a chance to explain made her feel incredibly bad. She had never fallen out with him and she did not want him to think that was the case.

When they returned to Castle Bam that evening, April had cooked a huge dinner and Amelia was happy to have the whole gang back where they belonged.

Later that night when Brandon and Bam were both tucked up in bed, she plucked up the courage and opened the emails from Johnny. Her heart began racing and her stomach somersaulted.

_Amelia, _

_I know you're ignoring my calls and I don't blame you but I need to talk to you. I never meant to upset you. Please talk to me._

_Johnny_

_Xxx_

She took a deep breath and clicked the next message.

_Amelia_

_Okay, you don't want to talk to me, I understand, but I need to say this to you. What happened that night was a mistake. I'd had a few too many and I don't know what came over me but I kissed you and it was a mistake. Please don't let me have ruined our friendship. I don't know what I'd do without you._

It was funny, Amelia thought. If it hadn't been for the kiss she and Johnny had shared when Bam had run off, she would never have forgiven Bam for leaving. At the time she had the inclination that the kiss might have meant something for both of them, but had never faced up to this. Perhaps it was time to face up to it now.


	12. Chapter 12

**JOHNNY**

Johnny shuffled from foot to foot as he waited outside the hotel. He had not smoked in months but the impending arrival of Amelia was making him nervous. They had spoken briefly a few weeks ago when Amelia had finally returned his emails. She had told him that she did not want to lose his friendship and that she was willing to put the past behind them and start again. Johnny thought this was incredibly gracious of her as he had not expected her to want to see him again, never mind remain friends.

It was starting to get dark outside and the blur of car headlights was giving him a headache. Realising how stupid he would look standing outside the hotel to welcome them, he slipped quietly back inside and made his way to the bar, confident that it would probably be the first port of call if Bam and Ryan had anything to do with it.

Jeff, Steve, Chris, Dave, Preston, Ehren, Wee-Man and some of the crew were already assembled around the bar, laughing at something. It was the first time they had all been reunited since Bam and Amelia's wedding, which meant there was bound to be some kind of trouble tonight.

About fifteen minutes later Bam and Ryan appeared in the bar but Amelia was nowhere to be seen. Johnny, Jeff and the others welcomed their friends before Jeff noticed that Amelia was missing.

"She's just freshening up." Bam explained, rolling his eyes and ordering a beer.

"That means she'll be down in a few hours." Ryan chuckled as they found themselves seats.

Johnny smiled with the others but inside his stomach was churning. He was keen to get the awkward conversation between them out of the way so that they could get on with the takeover. He tried to join in the banter with the others but Jeff at least could tell he was distracted.

It seemed Ryan's prediction had been correct as nearly y an hour had passed and Amelia had still not made an appearance. A few of the guys were mentioning that they wanted to go into town for food and the clubs but Johnny was really not in the mood.

"Nah guys I'm gonna pass on this one. Gotta get my beauty sleep." He grinned, pointing to his face.

The others laughed at his bad joke and bid him goodnight as they got up to leave.

"Aren't you gonna fetch Amelia?" Johnny overheard Ryan say to Bam as they were waiting for the others.

"Nah, she's probably asleep. I'll drop her a text." He replied, patting Ryan on the shoulder and ushering him out of the bar.

Johnny waited until everyone had left before standing up and stretching. It was nice of Bam to ditch his wife like that, he thought bitterly, making his way to reception.

"Hi there." He flashed his best smile at the lady behind the counter. "My friend Bam Margera is expecting me upstairs but for the life of me, I can't remember his room number."

The women bought it completely and stammered, "Room 340 Mr Knoxville, on the fourth floor."

"Thank you so much." He replied, still smiling and with a cheeky wink he turned on his heel and walked away.

Being an attractive movie star did have his benefits, he thought to himself, running a hand through his greying hair.

Johnny took a deep breath as he found himself standing outside room 340. He knocked three times and stood back, wondering whether or not she was awake. Sure enough after a few seconds he heard the sound of the door unlocking and Amelia appeared before him. She blinked her eyes and rubbed them slightly as if she had been asleep and couldn't tell if she was still dreaming. Her hair was a mess and her makeup had smudged and she was still wearing a huge baggy jumper, jeans and a pair of converse but to Johnny she looked absolutely beautiful.

"Hey Amelia." He smiled.

"Johnny." She replied, as if she was still not quite sure if she was awake. He tried not to laugh as her mouth dropped slightly, realising how she must look.

"Did I wake you?" he laughed.

"It's alright. I didn't mean to fall asleep." She told him, holding the door open for him to enter. He followed her as she made her way to the bed and sat down.

"The others have gone into town for food. I thought I'd see if you wanted anything." He said, getting to the point and avoiding any awkwardness.

"Oh right." She said quietly, looking quite put out that Bam had not come to find her. She scooped her long hair into a loose ponytail and attempted to wipe away some of the stray mascara below her eyes.

"I can call a cab if you want to meet them?" he suggested, fiddling with his phone.

Amelia stared at him silently for a few seconds and Johnny remembered that this was the first time they had seen one another since the wedding. Perhaps she was surprised by how normal he was being. He had surprised himself.

"I'm not really feeling going out." She admitted, gesturing to her appearance. "But I could definitely do with some food." She added with a smile.

Johnny grinned. "Room service?"

Amelia's eyes lit up at those two words. Johnny knew how much she loved ordering room service. "Only if you'll join me?" she put a hand on his arm gently.

"It'd be my pleasure." He grinned, trying to contain his excitement.

"Great. But can we go to your room? This room is a tip and I don't feel like unpacking anything right now." She told him.

"Sure." Johnny smiled, but he couldn't help wondering if she was more worried about Bam coming back.

Once they were in Johnny's room they ordered room service and made themselves comfortable in front of the television. Although everything seemed fine between them, Johnny realised he was going to have to say something, just to set things straight.

"I've missed you Meels." He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I don't want to spoil tonight but I need to tell you face to face how sorry I am for that mistake."

"It's ok Johnny." She cut him off, taking his hand. "We all make mistakes. You're my best friend and nothing in the world could change that."

Johnny smiled and pulled her into a big hug.


	13. Chapter 13

**AMELIA**

Amelia was feeling much better now that she and Johnny had cleared the air. The lingering guilt was still there but now that she had convinced herself that it had just been a drunken kiss between close friends she was able to get on with the task at hand; the 24 hour takeover.

They were already closing in to twelve hours of filming and needless to say things were starting to get out of hand. Steve-O had become increasingly out of control and the MTV heads had been given no choice but to remove him from the building. Amelia was worried about her friend and had wanted to go with him but Bam had insisted she stay with him in the studio. Meanwhile, Pontius and Dave had been naked for the past few hours and Amelia was sure she would go blind if she saw another penis in the same room.

Bam and Dunn were preoccupied with attempting dangerous stunts and getting wasted so Amelia left them to it. In fact, other than the crew, Johnny seemed to be the only one with any sense of self control tonight. He was running the show and it was working. Amelia smiled proudly as she watched him talking animatedly to the camera. He was cool, confident and dare she admit it, gorgeous. No wonder he was such a hit with the female fans; not even his best friend could keep her eyes off him. Amelia tried to shake this thought form her mind as she was reminded of her wedding night. She was temporarily distracted by Bam sauntering over to her off camera.

"Hey babe." She smiled, going to kiss him but he side stepped her and motioned for her to pass him a beer. Reluctantly she passed him a bottle from the cooler and looked at him expectantly.

"Bam?" she continued, but he had already turned on his heel and headed back on camera to Dunn, where Amelia heard him comment on what he would like to do to one of the female production runners.

Amelia wasn't quite sure what had come over her, perhaps it was the combination of being simultaneously ignored and hearing her husband talk about other women that made her stride over to Bam and pour two bottles of beer over his head with the cameras still rolling.

"I hope you'll be very happy with the runner." She spat, as calmly as possible.

"Amelia!" Bam yelled, but she had already stormed off.

She could hear his footsteps behind her but someone, she assumed Jeff or Rick, intervened and she was allowed to make her way out of the building with no interference. She continued storming until she was out if the building and in the rear parking lot. They hadn't driven to the studios themselves, so she couldn't simply jump in the car and drive off; she was stuck here for at least a short while. Deciding to find Steve-O, she walked the length of the car park and found herself on a narrow backstreet. Had she been thinking clearly she would have realised that this was a bad idea, but her mind was currently preoccupied with furious thoughts towards her husband.

They alleyway was dimly lit and it was a cold autumn night. She wondered how long it would be until sunrise, it was some ungodly hour of the morning but there was no sign of sunrise just yet. She continued walking until she saw the warm glow of street lights at the end of the alleyway. With a goal in mind she picked up her pace. The lights grew closer and she focused her eyes on them when all of a sudden a figure appeared at the entrance to the alley and Amelia felt her heart skip a beat. She was too far away to make out any features of the shadowy stranger but she could tell they were making their way towards her. Amelia stopped dead in her tracks, frozen by fear. She couldn't bring herself to run and as the figure drew closer she inhaled sharply, afraid of what came next.

To her horror, anguish and ultimately relief, the shadowy figure turned out to be Steve-O. Now that he was closer she could recognise him and she approached him feeling light headed from the fear. Steve looked worse for wear. He had obviously been continuing his bender and it was not a pretty sight.

"Hey 'Melia." He slurred, embracing her in a tight hug. She could smell the alcohol on his breath and he struggled to balance on his own two feet.

"Hey Steve, how are you feeling?" she asked, now supporting the full weight of his body.

"Fucking awesome!" he laughed, letting her go and swaying from side to side.

"Well you don't look it." She admitted, shaking her head a little in concern. "You wanna go get coffee or something?" Amelia had no experience of caring for someone as fucked up as Steve was right now, but she had no intention of letting him out of her sight in his condition. Coffee was probably not the best idea considering his hyperactivity of a few hours ago, but Amelia was in desperate need of a pick me up and wanted to get out of the cold. Luckily there was a coffee shop at the end of the alleyway that was still open and Amelia ushered Steve-O into the building.

They both collapsed at the nearest table and in the bright light of the shop Amelia was able to examine her friend's face clearly. His eyes were red and puffy and he was grinding his teeth in an almost nervous fashion. He watched her silently with an almost manic expression on his face and it actually frightened Amelia to see him like this. Johnny had warned her of how bad his addiction was getting.

The lone waitress brought over two steaming mugs of black coffee and Amelia was thankful for her lack of questions. Perhaps she didn't recognise Steve in his current state. Amelia took a big sip of the coffee and just the bitter taste put a spring back in her step. Fuck Bam, fuck him. She was not going to let him make her life miserable.

"What's up 'Meels?" Steve asked, now looking at her more calmly than he had all evening. Perhaps the coffee was doing the trick for him too.

"Nothing." She forced a smile, not wanting to bother him with her domestic problems. She hated fighting with Bam around the other guys. She was always slightly worried that they would take his side and see her as a moaning woman rather than one of them.

"Something's obviously up, otherwise you'd still be in the studio filming, not sat in this shitty little joint drinking coffee with your bud Steve-O."

Amelia laughed and was encouraged by the fact that Steve's eyes had returned to their natural size and colour. "Well I didn't get kicked out." She joked.

"Aw man, and there was me thinking you'd staged a protest for me." He grinned, swigging down the remains of his mug and ordering another one.

"I did consider it." She laughed truthfully, still aware of the concerned look on his face. "It's nothing really. Bam and I just had a fight."

"Ah Bam's a fucking dick 'Meels." Steve croaked, shaking his head in disapproval. "He's my friend but I have no fucking idea what you see in him." Steve folded his arms as if to make his point clear.

Amelia sighed. "All we seem to do is argue since the wedding. It's like he's just lost interest now he's got what he wanted."

Steve nodded. "Sounds about right." At the look of despair on Amelia's face, Steve reached across the table and squeezed her hands.

"I keep getting this horrible feeling that I've rushed into everything and made a huge mistake." She admitted as she squeezed his hand back. It suddenly struck her that the only person she had shared these feelings with before had been Johnny and he had convinced her to go ahead with the wedding, so why was she now confiding in Steve?

"Hey look at me! I'm the king of mistakes!" Steve grinned.

Amelia smiled weakly. Steve was a good listener despite whatever faults he may possess. Amelia knew she could trust him, and finally opening up to him felt like a weight had been lifted. "I told Johnny I was having doubts before the wedding but he told me to go ahead with it."

Steve let out a raspy laugh, which rapidly turned into a cough. "Knoxville is as much of a twat as your fucking husband." He said, pulling out a cigarette and placing in between his chapped lips as he lit it. He offered one to Amelia who accepted, raising an eyebrow to his comment. "I know why he told you to go ahead with it. He's a dick. He's fucking in love with you but he thought that once you got married to Bam he'd be able to move on cos he wouldn't have a chance with you."

Amelia's eyes widened in disbelief. She could not tell whether or not Steve was telling the truth or if this was just his drug fuelled interpretation of it, but what he said had struck a nerve. "Johnny kissed me on my wedding night." She mumbled quietly.

Now Steve's eyes widened and he rolled the cigarette along his bottom lip. "Fuck."

Amelia nodded. "I kissed him back. I don't know why. I love Bam. I really do. It's just Johnny...I don't know. He's my best friend..." she struggled to find the words. "We've barely spoken since then and I hate it. I miss him but it's almost like I can't trust myself around him anymore. I really can't explain it." She realised that she had never actually confronted these feelings head on before, let alone with someone else. Johnny was her best friend. How could he possibly harbour any kind of romantic feelings towards her? She had assumed he had been wasted on her wedding night.

"One day you'll both wake up and smell the coffee." Steve laughed.

"Steve, I've not told this to anyone else. But I know I can trust you."

Steve returned his hand to hers and rubbed it gently. "I've got your back dude."

Amelia smiled a little and took a deep drag of nicotine. She tried to stop thinking about Bam and Johnny and how upset she was but even Steve cracking jokes couldn't distract her for long. The anger and hurt was building up inside her, ready to erupt without notice. She finished her coffee and cigarette and decided she needed a different release. She was in perfect company. "Fuck coffee let's get wasted."

Steve needed no persuasion and without hesitation they stood up and left the shop in search of alcohol. The coffee had not warmed Amelia enough for the cold outdoors and seeing her shiver, Steve pulled off his grey hoody and dressed her in it instead. Amelia smiled gratefully and arm in arm they made their way along the street.

"Fuck it's like four in the morning!" exclaimed Steve-O, his teeth chattering from the icy wind.

"I wonder what they're up to now." Amelia muttered, voicing her thoughts unintentionally. Steve seemed not to hear.

"Bingo!" he shouted, pointing to a neon sign some way down the road. Amelia could just make it out and followed Steve towards the bar. Before they had managed to cross the road Amelia found herself being tackled from behind by a strong figure. She started to let out a scream before her assailant span her round. It was Johnny.

"Fuck Amelia! Where have you been! We were worried!"

To answer his question she pointed towards Steve who seemed unfazed by Johnny's appearance and thoroughly more concerned with the quest for alcohol. Johnny grabbed Steve's arm to stop him from wandering off.

"Oh hey Knoxville." Steve laughed, embracing his friend. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Looking for you two." Johnny told him patiently. "Come on; let's go back to the studio."

Both Amelia and Steve shook their heads. "I can't Johnny." Amelia sighed. "I don't want to see him."

"Be that as it may, we have a show to do and it's not safe for you to be wandering the streets."

Amelia wanted to protest. She wanted Johnny to get angry. She wanted to make him mad at her but she couldn't explain why. Realising she needed him on her side however, she thought better of this and kept her lips tightly sealed. Steve on the other hand, had no objections to staging a protest but soon found himself being ushered into a taxi by Johnny.

Seeing that Steve-O had sufficiently sobered up and calmed down, the MTV heads decided to let him back in the studio, but before Amelia could follow him back on set, Johnny pulled her to one side.

"Are you ok?" he asked, looking her up and down as if to search for injury.

Feeling self conscious under his wandering eye, Amelia ran a finger under each eye to remove any tear smudged makeup. "Yes." She lied, desperate to remove herself from his overbearing presence.

Johnny put a hand on her cheek and tilted her head up towards his own. She was powerless to resist and found herself staring into his soft brown eyes. The sensation of his hand against her cheek always surprised her. His skin was much softer than Bam's.

"Promise?" he whispered, dipping his head closer to hers.

Amelia gulped, feeling her stomach somersault and shook her head silently. She could feel tears welling up and couldn't understand why she was losing it now in front of Johnny when she had been calm in comparison with Steve.

"I didn't think so." Johnny replied, removing his hand from her face. He replaced it on her hand and led her further backstage where they found themselves in an abandoned office. "When you're ready to talk I'll be listening." Johnny told her, taking a seat at the back of the room.

Amelia bit her lip, keeping her distance. She didn't know where to start and how much she needed to tell him. Once upon a time she would have had no qualms about spilling her hearts out to Johnny but things had become complicated over the past few months. She started to tell Johnny about her arguments with Bam and as she admitted her doubts about the wedding she found herself dropping weakly into a chair opposite him. By now her tears were falling freely and rapidly.

Johnny approached her in one swift movement and before she could resist he had pulled her into his arms as tightly as he could. As she breathed in the scent of his aftershave she was reminded of a time a year ago when they had found themselves in a similar situation. It had resulted in a stolen kiss and many unspoken words.

Amelia felt so close to Johnny and wished she could melt into him and hide away. Her body was reacting strangely to his touch. She could feel her heart pounding through her rib cage and her lips were becoming dry. As her pulse and mind raced she remembered what Steve had said in the coffee shop. She couldn't see Johnny's face but she wondered what he was thinking right now.


	14. Chapter 14

**JOHNNY**

As Johnny held Amelia he buried his face in her tumbling hair, completely overwhelmed by the scent of her perfume and shampoo. He remembered the first time he had held her like this and what that had led to; their first kiss. He wondered if she still thought about it. He thought about it every day. He shivered at the thought but put these thoughts to the back of his mind. She needed him as a friend more than anything right now. What both he and Amelia didn't realise was that Amelia really wanted him as so much more.

"It's just silly little things, like he'll take it out on me if he's had a bad day. But it's starting to grind me down. The other day we had a blazing row because he couldn't find his wallet." She sobbed.

Johnny stroked her hair and let her cry. He had witnessed the earlier exchange between Amelia and Bam. There was no doubt in his mind that Bam had acted appallingly, but at some point they were going to have to talk and he knew he was going to have to play mediator. The thought made him feel nauseous but it was his own fault. Maybe if he'd admitted his feelings to her before the wedding things would be different. After listening to her talk about their arguments it was painstakingly clear that Amelia was not happy and Bam could care less.

A twinge of anger ran through his body like an electric current, but as he felt Amelia shake in his arms he took a deep breath and stroked her back. All of a sudden the office door flew open. Johnny craned his neck just in time to spot Bam storming towards them. He released his grip on Amelia and nudged her.

"Would you jump in my grave as fast Knoxville?" Bam spat angrily, sauntering up to his friend. Johnny got to his feet, animal instincts kicking in. The two men stuck their chests out, fists clenched. Johnny knew what was coming and he knew what a good shot Bam was.

"Get out Bam, you're not wanted here." Johnny said, struggling to remain calm but he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

Bam threw the first punch, hitting Johnny right in the eye. He staggered back a little, slightly dizzy, but this only fuelled his retaliation. Before Bam could get another hit in, Johnny had slung his fist into his stomach. Bam doubled over in pain and Johnny seized the opportunity to hit him square in the face. The two men continued to go at each other like wild animals. Johnny knew he was not doing his cause any favours by returning the punches, but he could not contain his anger and frustration any longer. Bam was stupid to let Amelia slip away.

Johnny had no idea how long they had been brawling for. He was lost in the fight and was only vaguely aware of his stinging lip and Amelia trying to split him and Bam up. Her screams must have alerted the others because before he knew it he was being dragged away from Bam by two pairs of arms and Bam was similarly being held back by Dunn and Trip.

"Drop it Knoxville." Said a familiar, calm voice behind him. Johnny knew it was useless to fight Jeff. He was much stronger, especially with the help of Chris. Dunn and Trip escorted Bam out of the office pretty sharply, but Jeff and Chris held on to Johnny until they were sure he would not go after Bam.

"What the fuck is going on?" demanded Jeff, staring furiously at Johnny. Chris stepped back and hoisted himself up on to the wooden desk.

Johnny really did not want to get into this with Jeff and Chris but they already pretty much knew the story. It was only now that he became aware of the blood trickling from his nose and falling on his white t-shirt. Jeff handed him a wad of tissue and took a seat opposite with his arms folded.

"Where's Amelia?" Johnny asked, realising she had disappeared in the commotion.

"As far away from here as possible if she knows what's good for her." Chris replied, resting his head on his knees and staring at Johnny warily as if he might kick off again.

Johnny could not argue with him. He might have protected his male pride in front of Bam but he had undoubtedly jeopardise his friendship with Amelia once again. Fighting with her husband was definitely not the way to her heart.

"Dude you're a douche." Jeff sighed, running his hands through his shaggy hair. The anger in his voice had subsided but Johnny could tell he was anxious about the show now that two of the stars were at each others throats.

"You have no idea." Johnny replied glumly. "I would apologise but I doubt it will do much good. I can guarantee I am one hundred percent more pissed with myself than you are Jeff."

Jeff raised an eyebrow but Johnny was sure both of them had a pretty good idea of what he was on about.

"I would give you some advice but I know you won't take it." Jeff sighed again.

Johnny avoided his friend's eye. He had been so close to Amelia then; closer than they had been in months. If Bam hadn't have appeared when he did, who knew what might have happened. Johnny groaned audibly before standing up and clapping his hands together. It was time to do what he did best: the show must go on. Jeff and Chris exchanged glances as Johnny pulled on his shades and made his way out of the office. Johnny knew they thought he was too distracted to film but he was determined to reach the 24 hour mark. Who could have guessed what an eventful 24 hours it would be.

Returning to the set he was met with many curious gazes but he flashed his best smile and they were instantly convinced that everything was just peachy in Knoxville land. He could tell Dave and Ehren were dying to know what had happened but they would find out soon enough. He had no idea where Bam was but Johnny was a man enough to accept the fact that he owed him an apology.


	15. Chapter 15

**AMELIA**

There was only six hours of the takeover left but Amelia had no intention of sticking around. She had spent the past hour hiding away backstage from both Bam and Johnny. She was in no mood to see either of them following their stupid fight. She hated the thought that she had caused it all. She had never wanted this; to cause tension amongst the group. Jeff had insisted that she had no reason to feel guilty and that it was just Bam and Johnny being dicks as usual.

This did not change Amelia's mind however, and she left early with Steve. It was daybreak but Amelia could barely keep her eyes open as the taxi dropped them off at the hotel. Not wanting to be alone, Amelia had persuaded Steve to let her stay in his room for a while. She was in a trance as Steve led her through the lobby and into his room. She collapsed onto the bed without even taking her shoes off.

Amelia was woken by Steve's raspy voice in her ear.

"Meels, wake up."

Amelia lifted her heavy eyelids open and found herself staring into Steve's big brown eyes.

"Bam wants to know where you are. Everyone's worried." Steve explained. "I told them you're with me and your okay, but I didn't say we were at the hotel cos I figured you needed some space."

Amelia simultaneously groaned at the mention of her husband's name and smiled, happy to have Steve on her side. She pulled herself up into a sitting position and rubbed her eyes until her makeup was thoroughly smudged. She looked around the room and noticed that the other side of the double bed had also been slept in. She laughed at the idea of sharing a bed with Steve. He was standing over the bed wearing nothing but a towel and she giggled as her eyes scanned over his tattoos.

"Yeah dude, you've slept with Steve-O!" he joked, reading her mind.

Amelia stuck her tongue out playfully, glad that she was still wearing her jeans and jumper and then realised that Steve must have taken her shoes off and put her under the covers. She smiled and glanced at her watch. It was two in the afternoon. The show had finished a few hours ago. Remembering the events of the night before made her stomach churn and her facial expression must have matched this as Steve sat down on the bed next to her and offered out his arms for a hug.

"Thanks Steve." She whispered as she felt his arms embrace her tightly.

He rubbed her back. "Everything will be ok Meels. I'm going for some food, wanna join me?"

Amelia shook her head as they pulled away from one another. "No thanks, I think I'm going to take a shower." She smiled.

"I'll grab you a coffee." Steve winked as he jumped off the bed, pulling his towel off as he walked away from her.

"Steve!" she exclaimed, throwing her hands up to shield her eyes. She heard him giggle and then the door slammed shut. Everything was silent but for the vibration of her phone. She heaved a sigh and dragged herself out of bed and straight to the bathroom. She knew she should let Bam know where she was but she figured he could stew for a little while. Confident that Steve would not be back for some time, she stripped out of her clothes and turned on the shower.

While the room filled with steam she examined herself in the mirror. Her hair was a greasy matted mess and her eyes were black with smudged mascara. Her skin was pale and uneven making her look peaky and she was sure that under the mascara she would have bags beneath her eyes. Despite having lost most of her baby weight she did still did not feel comfortable in her own body.

She stepped under the shower and let the hot water wash over her. It was a welcome relief and as she inhaled the steam she could feel the confusion in her mind evaporate. In fact she was devoid of any thoughts, losing herself in the sensation of the water hitting her body. She closed her eyes and could feel her body starting to relax. She was blissfully unaware of the hotel door room swinging open and it wasn't until there was a light rapping in the bathroom door that she was awoken from her trance.

"Steve? Is that you? Did you forget your clothes?" she laughed, remaining under the shower. When Steve did not reply she became a little worried. "Steve?" she called. "Quit trying to scare me will you!"

Thinking she must have imagined the knocking she turned her back on the bathroom door and began lathering her body in soap. It was then that she became aware of another presence in the bathroom. She turned around expecting to find Steve there and preparing to scold him she was taken by surprise to see the blurred figure of Johnny. She was too shocked to move and realised to her deep embarrassment that he would be able to see her whole body, the shower door only slightly maintaining her modesty.

"Johnny? What the fuck?" she yelled when she came to her senses. "I'm trying to shower!"

"I can see that." He said. She detected a slight giggle in his voice.

"What do you want?" she demanded, trying to cover her body with her arms.

"I wanted to talk to you. To apologise."

"Well you picked a great moment." She groaned. "Can you give me two minutes to get out of the shower?"

Amelia wrapped the towel around her, safe in the knowledge that Johnny was now waiting in the bedroom. She ensured her towel was safely fastened and rubbed her hair dry before returning to the bedroom where Johnny was sitting on the end of the bed, cleaning his sunglasses. She could tell he was trying to ignore the sight of her in the towel but it was ridiculously short so she smiled and grabbed one of Steve's t-shirts.

"How did you know I was here...Steve..." she began as she pulled the shirt over her head.

"I saw him in the lobby." Johnny interrupted, quick to divert any blame from Steve-O.

"Oh," was all Amelia could reply. "So what did you want to talk about?" she asked, flopping down beside him on the bed. She had not forgotten that she was pissed off with him for fighting with Bam, but she did not have the energy to fall out with him now.

"I'm sorry for fighting with Bam." He grimaced, still fiddling awkwardly with his sunglasses. "I was just angry at how he was treating you and jumping to conclusions. Am I not allowed to comfort my friend when she's upset?"

Amelia nodded but was slightly surprised. What had she expected him to say? There was nothing to it. Johnny had just been looking out for her that was all. Why had she imagined that there was any more to it?

"I appreciate you sticking up for me Johnny but I hate it when you guys fight, especially because of me. I hate feeling like I've come between you."

Johnny took her hand. "Don't be silly. It was all just a big misunderstanding." He smiled.

"That's what it was, a misunderstanding?" Amelia repeated.

"Precisely." Johnny replied, missing the question in her voice.

Any ideas she had about the kiss on her wedding day was a 'misunderstanding'. He had said it himself. She might have felt something for Johnny back in the studio but it was a 'misunderstanding'. She wished Johnny could not see her face as she fought back tears. She felt so stupid for thinking anything else. How could she have taken Steve seriously? She was always going to be Johnny's friend. She was married to Bam for god's sake.

"So you forgive me?" he gave her his best puppy dog eyes and she hit him playfully on the arm.

"With eyes like that? How could I resist?" she grinned in spite of herself, a newfound sense of calm was radiating through her body now that she and Johnny had cleared the air.

"Now if you don't mind I'd like to get dressed Knoxville." She laughed, standing up to find her clothes.

"I won't peek." He teased as she returned to the bathroom. "You want to hang out today?"

"Sure, give me half an hour?" she shouted back through the door, imagining the sight of Johnny rolling his eyes. The sound of the other door swinging open signalled the return of Steve. Amelia stepped out of the bathroom with a toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.

"Steve! Thanks for locking the door earlier." She shouted sarcastically. "I've had Knoxville perving on me all day. Oh hi Pontius!"

Chris laughed as Steve pulled his most effective innocent face and shrugged his shoulders as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

Half an hour later, Amelia was ready to face the day, or at least what remained of it.

"Has anyone seen or spoken to Bam yet?" she wondered as she and Johnny headed downstairs into the lobby.

"I don't know. Everyone else is still asleep."Johnny replied quietly.

"I guess I'm in his bad books then." She sighed, accepting a cigarette from him as they left the hotel.


	16. Chapter 16

**JOHNNY**

Johnny and Amelia spent what was left of the day at Central Park. One of the perks of filming the takeover in New York was that they got to explore the city. Amelia had not spent much time there since her first ever meeting with Jeff.

They bought takeout coffee from Starbucks and sat on a bench, reminiscing. In a few weeks it would be the end of October and the weather in New York was unforgiving. Amelia was wrapped up in hat, scarf and gloves looking very cosy, while Johnny wished he'd had the sense to pack warmer clothing. He shivered as he sipped his coffee and they watched the tourists flocking in front of them.

"Did you speak to Bam after I left this morning?" Amelia asked suddenly, changing the subject.

Johnny nodded silently, warming his hands with the polystyrene cup. He didn't really want to talk about Bam today but it was obviously playing on Amelia's mind. "I apologised to him." Johnny shrugged.

"You did?" Amelia seemed surprised.

"We had a show to film and Jeff was having a breakdown. When all's said and done I was wrong to hit him." Johnny replied, resting his chin on the cup.

Amelia did not respond and stared out across the park. Johnny wished he could read her mind. He would have loved to know what she was thinking at that moment but his day dreaming was interrupted by the sight of a familiar figure making its way across the park towards them.

The looming figure of Jeff Tremaine approached them and he took a seat beside Johnny. "Well, the show was a success you'll be pleased to hear. I'm as surprised as anyone but I think we should move on and focus on jackass world now." He rambled, earning strange looks from both Johnny and Amelia. They nodded hesitantly, wondering what they owed this unusual visit to.

"Steve told me I'd probably find you guys here." Jeff explained, as if reading their mind. He seemed a little anxious, which was unusual when there was no filming taking place.

After sitting in silence for a few moments, Jeff cut to the point. "PJ, can I have a word?" Jeff asked as subtly as he could, but Johnny knew that Amelia would be suspicious of Jeff's use of Johnny's real name.

"Sure." Johnny replied, glancing at Amelia. "I'll be right back." He told her, standing up and following Jeff. "What's up Jeff?" he asked pointedly.

"Are you ok dude?" Jeff asked, digging his hands into his pockets. Johnny knew there was more to it than a simple, 'how are you?'

"I'm fine Jeff, what's all this about?" Johnny raised an eyebrow. He could Jeff really didn't want to have this conversation with him.

Jeff fidgeted before finding his words. "Come on dude, I'm not dumb and I have not forgotten what went on with you and Bam last night."

Johnny sighed. "I apologised to Bam if that's what you're here for."

Jeff scratched the back of his neck. "Well that's great but what exactly did you apologise for because we all know that Bam was in the wrong last night, and I'm hazarding a guess that you didn't tell him about kissing Amelia at the wedding."

"What the fuck Jeff? How did you..." Johnny trailed off, his eyes wide and shocked at the information Jeff appeared to possess.

"I saw you." Jeff shrugged, staring at the ground uncomfortably. "I was keeping an eye on you all night cos I could tell you weren't right. I watched you walk across the grounds with her and everything that happened next."

Johnny felt sick to his stomach. If Jeff knew it would make it harder to pretend the kiss had never happened and harder to forget his feelings for Amelia. If Jeff had seen them then who else had?

"Knox, our flight leaves in a couple of days. I know Bam and Amelia have their problems but you've got to let them work it out themselves. Otherwise it's going to bite you in the ass. "

Johnny nodded, understanding what Jeff was trying to tell him, to give Amelia space and leave her and Bam to it. "You're right Jeff." He sighed, running his hands through his hair in frustration. Standing here in front of his best friend and business partner Johnny started to realise what an idiot he had been. He might not have been chasing after Amelia in the literal sense but he really did need to back off. The scene in the office had been too close for comfort and as much as he loved spending time with Amelia he needed to put some distance between them and make sure that they never found themselves in a position like that again. All of a sudden he couldn't wait to get back home to LA and busy himself with work and Madison.

Jeff slapped him on the back and they embraced in a manly fashion. "Drinks on me at the bar later." Jeff told him sincerely, before waving to Amelia and heading back across the park.

"What was all that about?" Amelia asked as Johnny returned to the bench.

Johnny shrugged it off. "Just guy talk."


	17. Chapter 17

**AMELIA**

"Are you going back to your room?" Johnny asked as they returned to the hotel a few hours later. Jeff's impromptu appearance had shaken her up a little as it had left Johnny unusually quiet and brooding.

Amelia bit her lip. She couldn't avoid Bam forever but she had been having such a good day she did not want it to end. "I guess I'm going to have to face him eventually." She sighed.

Reluctantly she parted with Johnny and made her way to her own hotel room. She unlocked the door anxiously, wondering what she was going to find on the other side. To her surprise, Bam was in. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, phone in hand and a frown on his face. When he saw Amelia in the doorway he jumped up.

"Amelia, babe. Where have you been? I was worried sick!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with tears.

"I've been out." She mumbled, walking slowly into the centre of the room. She was taken aback by his reaction but she was not quite ready to forgive him yet. She was still reeling from his comments during the takeover.

"Babe, I'm really sorry for yesterday. I had way too much to drink and got carried away with the guys. You need to know that I didn't mean anything I said. You're the only woman for me. I love you and I won't lose you!"

Bam stepped forward so that they were face to face and Amelia stared at him silently, trying to gage how sincere he was in his apology. "What about you and Johnny?"

"What about it?"

"The fighting." She sighed, dropping her gaze to the floor.

"I'm sorry for that too. It just upset me when I saw how close you were to him. I should have been the one comforting you and I guess it just felt like a dig at what a rubbish husband I am." Bam sighed and flopped back down on the bed, his head in his hands.

Amelia did not know what to say as she joined him on the bed. He was right. He had been a rubbish husband, but she was not one to give up easily and she pulled his hands away from his face so that she could see the tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Bam." She sighed gently. "I love you. I just wish you would stop making it so difficult for me. All we do is argue since the wedding. Can we make a fresh start and get things back to the way they were before?"

Bam nodded between sobs and Amelia rubbed his back to comfort him. "I want that too." He wrapped his arms tightly around her and they sat like that for what seemed like hours until Bam's sobbing had subsided and Amelia felt as if she could start to forgive him.

Bam pulled away and wiped his eyes. "I promise I'm going to make it up to you." He smiled. "We're going to have the best Christmas ever."

Amelia smiled back. "I can't wait."

Back in Westchester, Bam was living up to his promise. It had only been a few weeks since the takeover but life in Castle Bam was starting to return to the normality the inhabitants had not seen since Brandon's birth. The whole crew was spending much more time around Amelia and Bam was spending more time with his son. It was almost as if he was a different person since the takeover and Amelia was not complaining. They had not had a single argument and she started wondering why she had ever had any doubts about their relationship. He now kept his phone on him at all times and always told her where he was going. She was even invited out to film on several occasions.

Since returning to Westchester Amelia had kept in constant touch with Steve-O. He had proved himself as a good friend to her and now she had someone to confide in her feelings about Johnny as well as Bam. After telling Steve about Bam's personality change, he had suggested that the fear of losing Amelia permanently had set Bam straight and made him realise he needed to alter his ways. She suspected that Steve had hit the nail on the head.

In terms of her relationship with Johnny, things seemed to have gone back to normal as well. They continued to email and ring one another and any mistakes or misunderstandings were long forgotten, or so she thought.

It was a fresh November morning and Bam had gone out with Glomb to buy supplies for a new skate ramp. Amelia suspected the others had joined them as the house was now unusually silent. Brandon was playing contentedly in his cot so Amelia decided to check her emails and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Johnny's name appear in her inbox. The email was titled 'memories' and included an attachment. She clicked it open curiously and started reading.

_Hey Amelia,_

_I think you'll appreciate this._

_I bumped into Sean Cliver at Dickhouse yesterday and he gave me a copy of the stills from Number Two. I was flicking through them last night and they are pure gold. When I was looking at them I kept thinking about you behind the camera and I don't know, I just thought you should see them._

_Your friend PJ _

_xxx_

Amelia stared at the screen with a lump in her chest as she downloaded the file. She was excited to look through the stills and waited in anticipation until the computer beeped to tell her the download was complete.

There were over one hundred images; she was going to be occupied for a while. The first photo was of Chris and Johnny during 'the magic trick'. She laughed at the sight of Johnny in his magician's cape. He looked ridiculous. The next was a reaction shot of the other guys and Amelia spotted herself standing to the side with Jeff and Trip. She laughed out loud of a picture of her and Steve doubled over with laughter during 'dizzy boxing' and decided to print it out. She browsed through another twenty odd images including Dave's bleeding backside after his encounter with the fire hose, and Ehren losing his tooth again.

Eventually she came to some behind the scenes photos that Cliver had taken when the other cameras were not rolling. These were the pictures that had the most profound effect on Amelia. There was a picture of her sitting on Bam's lap sometime after the anaconda ball pit. She fought back a smile remembering how scared he had been just watching his friends wrestle the snakes. Things hadn't been great between her and Bam then either but she had been happy. They had both been happy. There was another picture of Bam sneaking up behind her with a bag of flour, which made her giggle out loud. She had been so unsuspecting at the time. She flicked through a ton of other pictures of the two of them together and found it funny how much things had changed since then.

Amongst the pictures of her and Bam were just as many of her and Johnny. She hadn't noticed at the time but in these pictures they appeared inseparable. For most of the time they had their arms around one another with goofy grins plastered across their faces. There were several pictures of him giving her piggy backs while dressed in some ridiculous hat, and one particular shot of them in the swimming pool, Amelia on his shoulders in a skimpy bikini. Amelia wasn't sure if it was retrospect or something else but in those pictures with Johnny she seemed happier than in the ones with Bam. Her stomach knotted and she felt nauseous. Was this obvious to Johnny as well? What about Cliver and whoever else had seen the photos?

Half an hour later she came to the end of the file. The final photo in the album was a picture of the whole cast and crew during the musical finale of Jackass Number 2. Amelia was stood on the middle row in between Johnny and Jeff. Once again, she and Johnny were stood arm in arm with massive goofy grins on their faces; Johnny dressed as a cowboy and Amelia in a ridiculous dress she had been roped into wearing. She remembered how genuinely happy she had been when that photo was taken. In comparison it felt like she was just going through the motions right now, putting on a front to convince herself and everyone else that she was ok. Had she really been ok at all since Bam left her while she was pregnant? She wasn't sure anymore and it was at that moment that Amelia realised she would give anything to have Johnny here with her now. She needed her best friend.

She clicked the new message icon on her screen and began typing from the bottom of her heart.

_Hi Johnny,_

_Thank you for the photos, I don't think I've ever laughed, cried and grimaced so much in such a short amount of time! They really do bring back some memories. I still can't believe you got me in that dress!_

_Looking at those photos reminded me of all the crazy shit you got up to and how much it made me laugh. That was the last time I can remember being truly happy. Bam pissed me off then too but it didn't bother me so much because you were there to take my mind off it._

_I don't really know where I'm going with this email. I guess I just want to say how much I miss you. I'm sick of being tough and strong in front of everyone. Behind this wall I do actually give a shit and Bam doesn't seem to realise that. I wish you were here right now._

_You always tell me to say it how it is, so here it is. I love you._

Amelia paused and looked at the last three words she had typed and realised she sounded ridiculous. She paused for a moment before retyping.

_You always tell me to say it how it is, but I don't know what I'm saying anymore._

_I need to see you._

_Amelia_

_xxx_

* * *

><p><strong><em>I don't usually write notes after my stories, but I felt the need to say a huge thank you to everyone who has been reading and reviewing my story. It means a lot to me that you are enjoying it and your comments give me the confidence and motivation to continue writing! In particular I'd like to say thanks to <em>TheFreakMagnet _for your initial review that inspired me to keep posting and to _justawrestlingdream _for all of your reviews and support! Thanks guys, and don't forget to check out the prequel to this story '_**_Just Go With It_**_' :) _**


	18. Chapter 18

**JOHNNY**

Jeff's words in New York had sunk in and Johnny spent the weeks following the takeover desperately trying to forget Amelia or at least his feelings towards her. She was a married woman; off limits. He needed to accept this and as usual his solution was to get drunk with the guys.

Getting drunk with the guys was not much of a challenge and it was proving to be a great distraction. He was even finally prepared to accept the help of his friends in terms of dating and allowed Dave to set him up with one of his girlfriend's friends. He had, however, drawn the line when for the umpteenth time Mel had tried to arrange him a blind date with someone she worked with. Being set up by his ex wife was one step too far.

Although none of the women he dated were Amelia, the constant attention was certainly keeping his mind off her and he had to admit he was enjoying being back on the scene. He was all too aware that he had become a needy, clingy shadow of his former self over the past few months and all of his friends had noticed the change in him since the takeover.

Johnny still made the effort to keep in touch with Amelia, no matter what happened he was not going to lose her as a friend and after catching up with Cliver at the offices Johnny had been unable to resist sharing the pictures with Amelia. Though he had seen some of them before, they had been painful to look now that he had come to terms with his feelings for her. He had been sure to send her an innocent email with no emotion attached and he really hadn't expected to receive one back.

Johnny had not long returned from a dinner date with Lucy, a friend of Laura, the woman Jeff was currently seeing. The date had been a success and he had even gone so far as to bring her back to his house. They stumbled through the doorway, a little dizzy from the bottle of wine they had shared and Johnny put an arm around Lucy to steady her as they entered the hallway. She responded by wrapping her own arms around his neck and he found himself bringing his lips down to hers.

They kissed passionately and made their way into the living room where Johnny gently pushed her down on to the sofa. She smelt good and it had been a long time since he had been this close to someone. As he deepened the kiss he felt her work her hands down the front of his shirt, undoing the buttons. He was powerless to resist and pulled her dress over her head and started kissing her neck. Johnny could feel his pulse quicken and his heart pounding in his chest. Once they were both clad only in their underwear Johnny led Lucy to the bedroom and pulled her down on top of him.

Lucy was flat out in bed next to him but Johnny couldn't sleep. He wasn't sure if it was the buzz from their love making or something else but he felt restless and got out of bed to get some water. As he returned to the bedroom he saw his laptop flashing and realised he had left it on before going out that night. Glancing back at the woman in his bed, he decided to check his emails briefly. Jeff had mentioned that he was going to send him a proposal for a new show.

As he signed in to his email account his stomach performed a triple back flip that Steve-O would have been proud of, for he saw a familiar name in his unread list. Amelia. Johnny read through the email as fast as he could.

"_You always tell me to say it how it is, but I don't know what I'm saying anymore._

_I need to see you."_

He read those two lines over and over again.

"_I need to see you."_

What did that mean? He was confused. The recent correspondence between him and Amelia had led him to believe that married life had improved for her. She had told him how Bam seemed to be a different person and that she felt happier than she had in a long time but as he flicked back to her most recent email it seemed that she had not been entirely truthful.

A wave of nausea overtook Johnny and he thought he might actually be sick. He could feel bile rise in his throat as he remembered what he had just done with Lucy. It was stupid to think that he had betrayed Amelia. She had never been his in the first place but he couldn't shake the horrible feeling.

Ignoring the woman in his bed, Johnny took his phone from the desk and dialled Amelia's number. It was late enough there in LA that it might just be a reasonable time to ring Amelia in Westchester. As he heard the dial tone he left the bedroom and started to pace the house, willing Amelia to pick up the phone. To his despair she did not answer and the call went through to her voice mail. Johnny groaned.

"Amelia, it's PJ. I just got your email. Is everything ok? Please get in touch Amelia. Why do you need to see me? Has something happened? Ring me back as soon as you get this message."

He hung up the phone and realised he probably sounded a little hysterical in his message but he couldn't disguise his anxiety to know what she meant by needing to see him. He collapsed on to the sofa in his living room and put his head in his hands. He could not bring himself to go back upstairs to Lucy. It had been fun at the time but since reading Amelia's email he wished he could rewind the evening.

He must have fallen asleep because he was suddenly aware that the sun was shining through the living room window and he could hear footsteps walking around the house. As the footsteps came closer he shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep, hoping that Lucy would see herself out. Sure enough, he heard the front door open and shut and he breathed a sigh of relief. No doubt Jeff would chew him out for not being a gentleman when Lucy complained to Laura, but he had no intention of seeing her again so what was the point in pretending?

Remembering the email from the night before, Johnny scrambled around for his phone anxiously and was frustrated to see that Amelia had not tried to return his call. He could still not shake the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach and trudged back upstairs now that the coast was clear. He considered ringing Amelia again but remembered his vow to leave her to it. If she really needed to see him she would surely get in touch.

The next evening, Johnny was sitting in a bar with Jeff and Spike. Needless to say, Jeff had heard every detail about Johnny's date from Laura, and while he was proud of Johnny for bringing Lucy home, he was annoyed that he had not made more of an effort afterwards as Laura had moaned at him for it.

Johnny laughed and decided it was best not to tell him why he had suddenly taken a rain check with Lucy. It was at that moment that he felt his phone vibrated from his jeans pocket and pulled it out to find a voice mail waiting for him. He frowned trying to work out when he had missed a call and excused himself from the table as he dialled the mail box.

"Hi Johnny. Sorry for not ringing back sooner but Brandon's not been very well. I had to take him to the doctors yesterday and everything's been a bit manic. I guess you're busy at the moment but I didn't want you to worry. I know what you're like. About the email...I err...well I just...I need to see you Johnny. I can't explain over the phone. Can we meet up after Christmas is out of the way? Ring me or email me back? Oh, it's Amelia by the way. In case you didn't know."

Johnny heard her laugh nervously before the beep signalled the end of the message. He rang her straight back and was relieved when she answered promptly. Johnny realised he would have to keep it short if he was to keep Jeff and Spike from getting suspicious so he quickly agreed to fly over to Westchester in the New Year and spend some quality time with Amelia before the filming for Viva La Bam began.


	19. Chapter 19

**AMELIA**

Christmas arrived just as quickly as ever and as per usual it never went smoothly in Castle Bam. This year was a quieter affair, despite Bam's promise to make it the best yet. Amelia, Brandon, Bam, April, Phil, Ryan, Vito, Raab and Dico sat around exchanging gifts that morning and now they were trying to have a civil dinner. After they had eaten, or at least emptied their plates, Bam declared that he had an announcement to make. The others sat expectantly as he cleared his throat and turned to Amelia.

"I've got an extra special present for you Amelia. I've sorted it so that you won't have to go back to work now. In fact, you won't have to work anymore at all, so don't worry about coming off maternity leave. You can relax and stay at home with Brandon."

The room was silent. Amelia did not know what to say. She wanted to scream and shout and cry but not in front of their guests so she silently stood up from the table and walked away, aware that everyone's eyes were still on her. How could Bam do this to her? How could he be so utterly selfish and blind? Bam found her sitting outside by the pool. "What's wrong babe? It's freezing out here, come back inside."

"What's wrong?" she mocked him, not moving from her seat. "You've cut me from the show, that's what's wrong." She felt her eyes water with tears.

"I don't see the problem. It's for the best Amelia. You get too stressed. I mean, look what happened in New York. I think it's best for everyone if you take a back seat."

"But I don't want to take a back seat!" she exclaimed, staring at him through her tears. "I want to be a part of the show. I want to do my job."

Bam shook her words off casually. "Don't be silly Amelia. It's too late anyway. I've found a replacement."

With that final blow he walked off as if to make his point that that was the end of the discussion.

Amelia realised how lucky she had been to get a flight only three days after Christmas. She and Brandon had been staying with April and Phil since Christmas Day as she could not stand to be in the same building as Bam but they had been trying to convince her that Bam's heart was in the right place and she couldn't stand being in Westchester any longer.

Leaving the state had been a rash decision however and now she was stranded in an unfamiliar airport with an eighteen month old son. The plane ride had been exhausting and all she wanted to do was curl up and sleep. Her best option would have been to check into the nearest hotel but she had no desire to be alone right now.

She did not know the address for the house she wanted to go to, so she gave the taxi driver directions to the offices. She knew that despite it being the Christmas period, she could guarantee at least one familiar face would be working. The building appeared deserted but she saw a few cars in the lot. She had travelled light so she paid the taxi driver and made her way into the reception area with Brandon in one arm and her overnight bag in the other.

There was no one on the front desk but this did not perturb her for she already knew the directions to the office she wanted. She made her way up to the fourth floor and as she started to walk down the corridor a whole host of memories came flooding back. They had filmed many of the skits for the second film on this very floor. She felt a smile flicker across her face and hoisted Brandon further on to her hip as she continued down the hallway.

Finally she came to the door she wanted. She felt her stomach turn a little but this was not the time to be having second thoughts. She dropped her bag on the floor and rapped lightly on the door. She could see a light on inside, which had to be a good sign.

"Yes?" shouted a familiar voice.

Amelia pushed the door open and walked confidently into the office of an extremely surprised Jeff Tremaine.

"Amelia? What the hell..?"

Jeff was sat in front of his computer and his eyes had widened in confusion as he looked Amelia up and down.

"Happy Christmas." She grinned, laughing at the ridiculousness of the situation.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, standing up to greet her.

"Long story." She sighed, embracing him with one arm. "I could ask you the same thing. Shouldn't you be at home?"

"Any excuse to avoid visiting the in laws." He grimaced, pulling up a chair for Amelia. "What's your excuse?"

"I didn't know where else to go."

Jeff looked concerned. "Is something wrong? Or is that a stupid question considering you've turned up at Dickhouse three days after Christmas with a baby and an overnight bag?"

"Like I said, it's a long story," she sighed, propping Brandon up on her knee and running a hand through her windswept and unwashed hair.

"Do you need somewhere to stay?" he asked, closing the lid of his laptop.

"Actually I was hoping you could give me directions to Johnny's house." Amelia explained, timidly.

Jeff nodded and Amelia was glad that he decided not to ask why. It was not like there was anything wrong with wanting to see her friend, but she did not feel like explaining herself right now. Jeff scribbled down an address before insisting that she stayed for a coffee. Amelia gladly accepted.

"You know you can always talk to me if you need to Amelia." Jeff smiled.

"Thank you Jeff, I really appreciate you helping me out." She replied, finishing her coffee. She realised she was going to have to let Jeff know what was going on, even if she didn't tell anyone else. "Bam and I, we're...well. I can't be around him right now." She sighed.

"Amelia?"

"Please don't say anything to anyone Jeff. I just needed to get away from West Chester."

Jeff nodded. "Look, if you can hold on for a few minutes longer I'll drive you to Knoxville's. I'm nearly done here."

"Thanks." She smiled gratefully.

Jeff dropped her off outside Johnny's house and Amelia insisted she would be ok. She took a deep breath and knocked. As she waited she felt the anxiety build up inside her. This was a stupid idea; maybe she should just turn around and go home. Before she could back out however, she heard footsteps approaching the door. She bit her lip and held her breath. As she waited the door to open, she tried to figure out what she was going to say. Jeff might have been willing to overlook a few details but she knew that Johnny would not.

The door swung open. "Honestly Jeff, there's not need to knock when I know..."

Amelia found herself face to face with a girl who couldn't have been older than fourteen. She opened her mouth to apologise but found herself lost for words. She recognised the girl vaguely from the wedding though they had never been properly introduced. It was Johnny's daughter, Madison.

Madison smiled politely. "Oh I'm sorry, I thought you were Jeff. I saw his car pull up." She laughed. "You're Amelia. Dad never introduced me to you at the wedding!"

Amelia smiled, glad that she knew who she was. "I'm sorry for turning up like this." She apologised. "Is Johnny...your dad in?"

Madison opened the door wider and invited Amelia in. "He's just gone to the store to get some pizza." She explained, grinning. "We're having a movie marathon."

Amelia felt extremely awkward. She should have realised that Johnny would be spending time with his family during the holidays. "I'm sorry for interrupting. This was bad timing, I'll come back another time."

"Oh no! You can't go now, you've only just got here. Come and sit down and join us!" Madison insisted. She certainly had her father's powers of persuasion.

"Are you sure?" asked Amelia.

"One hundred percent." Madison smiled as she led the way down the hallway and into the living room, flopping down on the sofa. "It's nice to properly meet you! Dad's been promising to introduce us for ages."

Amelia hesitantly joined Madison on the sofa and comforted Brandon who was becoming tired and whiney. She felt a little nervous and out of place in Johnny's house and in the company of his teenage daughter. This wasn't how she had envisioned things playing out. Madison seemed very mature for her age and it struck Amelia how despite the fact that there was at least ten years between the two of them, they looked strangely similar in their skinny jeans, checked shirts and converse.

"What's his name?" Madison asked, interrupting Amelia from her thoughts.

"Brandon." Amelia smiled. "Would you like to hold him? I think he's a little fed up of only having me for company for the past twenty four hours."

Madison nodded and held out her arms as Amelia passed Brandon over to her. He immediately stopped crying and began to grin and laugh as Madison fussed over him.

"Well he sure likes you more than he likes me." Amelia laughed, amazed at Madison's calming influence over Brandon. Madison beamed.


	20. Chapter 20

**JOHNNY**

Johnny pulled up in the garage and locked the car before returning to the house where his daughter was waiting for him. It had been quiet at the store, which he assumed was down to people wanting to stay in with their families over the Christmas period. Johnny was glad he had Madison to return to. Every year he and Mel took it in turns to have their daughter for Christmas while she stayed with the other parent for New Year. It was remarkably civil of them, Johnny had thought. He was lucky that he had remained friends with his ex wife and avoided a messy divorce.

This year Johnny was spending the New Year with Madison. Rather than going to any alcohol fuelled party he was looking forward to staying in with junk food and DVDs. He could hear Madison talking to herself from the living room and he smiled to himself as he made his way down the hall way and straight into the kitchen to unpack the shopping.

He had just put the soda into the fridge when the door swung open and he saw the excitable face of his thirteen year old daughter standing in the doorway. "Hey dad, we've got a visitor!" she grinned, motioning for him to follow her.

Johnny frowned. A visitor? He had not been expecting anyone. He stopped what he was doing and walked across the hallway into the other room, taking off his sunglasses. His eyes widened and his mouth hung open as he recognised the figure sitting on his sofa, bouncing a baby up and down on her lap.

"Amelia?" He had to pinch himself to make sure he was not dreaming, so surprising was the sight of his best friend sitting in his house with his daughter and her son, when she was supposed to be on the other side of the country. He was lost for words and simply stood still and gawped at her and Madison. Amelia looked sheepish while Madison looked ecstatic.

"Johnny, I'm sorry for showing up like this." Amelia stammered, her eyes darting from Madison to Johnny before continuing.

"Hey Mads, why don't you go and make us all some coffee and find something for Brandon to drink." Johnny hinted to his daughter, who understood immediately and carried Brandon carefully out of the room. When their children were safely out of earshot, Johnny approached Amelia and looked deep into her eyes. It did not take a genius to know that something was not right.

"What's happened Amelia?" he asked, unable to hide the worry in his voice. She looked as if she might collapse and burst into tears simultaneously so Johnny took a seat next to her and wrapped his arms around her. "Talk to me Amelia." He whispered, hating to see her so upset.

"Bam's cut me from the show." She mumbled into his chest. He could feel her tears soaking through his t-shirt.

"He's what?" Johnny exclaimed, pulling her head up so he could look her in the eyes. "Why the hell would he do that?"

Amelia stared at her hands. "He's found a replacement. He thinks I need to concentrate on being a mother rather than work and he says they'll be fine without me so there's no need to worry."

Johnny's face contorted with confusion. "I don't understand. Why would he want to cut you out? You're amazing at your job."

Amelia sighed. "I think deep down he thinks he means well. He doesn't understand how much my job means to me and how much I love working on the show. When I protested we got into a huge argument and he refused to change his mind. You know as well as I do that he gets whatever he wants. He said he could see how stressed I was at the takeover and that it would be best for everyone if I wasn't involved."

Johnny could hear Amelia's voice shaking. She was trying so hard not to breakdown. How could Bam have been so insensitive? Everyone knew how much Amelia loved her job and how hard she had worked to get where she was. Who was Bam to take that all away from her?

"My emotions are all over the place so I don't know if I'm overreacting." She sighed. "All I know is that I can't be around him right now. I never realised how little he understood me. I never wanted to give up my job for motherhood. I know it will be hard but I can do both."

Johnny took her hands. "Of course you can. You're the most hardworking and determined person I've ever met."

"Thank you Johnny." Amelia was crying now and Johnny took her head in his hands to try and wipe away her tears. He understood her desire to be away from Bam, but what had brought her to the other side of the country?

"Come on." He said, taking her hand. "I know it's a lot more than just Bam that brought you all the way over here. What's bothering you?"

Amelia bit her lip and took a deep breath. "I was only twenty one when I moved over here from England." She sighed, running a hand through her long, tousled hair. "I got the job on Bam's show and turned up in America and it felt like I'd woken up in some weird dream. It still does. What am I doing here? It feels like my life has run away with me." She fought back tears as her emotions began to break out of the cage she had held them within for so long.

Johnny leaned forward and took her hands in his, stroking them gently.

"It's like I've blinked and missed ten years or something. I've only known Bam for two years and already we're married and have a kid. It's crazy, stupid even. I love my family but I feel like I've rushed everything and it's all going to fall apart. It's almost like a sham."

Johnny remained silent and stared at her with his big brown eyes. He was surprised to hear her pouring her heart out like this.

"Do you know what's funny? When Bam left me when I was pregnant, I really thought it was the end. I started getting my head around the fact that we were over and I was going to go back to England and start a new life. But then, and I don't know if you remember this, we kissed. I don't know why it happened and I don't think we've ever talked about it but it forced me to change my mind. I was in a dark place but kissing you made me realise how much I love Bam, and I knew I had to try and make it work for our baby's sake."

Johnny bit his lip and pulled her into his arms. She was right. They had never spoken about that kiss before. He wasn't sure how he felt about what she was telling him. Maybe it was a good thing that it had made her realise how much she loved Bam, but then again maybe not.

Eventually Amelia's tears had subsided. Johnny was grateful that Madison had kept Brandon occupied while they talked. "You know you're welcome to stay here as long as you want." He told her, keeping her tight in his arms. "Does anyone know where you are?"

Amelia mumbled something into his chest, which he could not make out. He pulled away. "Say what now?"

She sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I told them I was going back to England."

Johnny raised his eyebrows. "I think you got on the wrong plane babe." He joked.

Amelia's lips twitched into something that resembled a smile. "I got to the airport and changed my mind. I meant what I said in that email. I needed to see you. Plus the weather's better here."

Johnny laughed and squeezed her shoulder affectionately, deciding not to press her about the email. Just then Madison returned to the room with Brandon in her arms. She caught her father's eye to make sure it was ok and he smiled warmly at his daughter. She took a seat quietly beside him.

"Are Amelia and Brandon staying for New Year?" she asked in anticipation.

"They sure are." He smiled, making Amelia's mind up for her.

Madison exclaimed her excitement and Johnny glanced at Amelia, happy to see that a smile had returned to her face. There would be plenty of time to talk about the email later.


	21. Chapter 21

**AMELIA**

Amelia felt a little better now that she had let out all her pent up emotion. Johnny was being amazing really, considering she had turned up out of the blue and gate crashed his Christmas with Madison with her domestic problems.

"I'll show you to the spare room." Johnny said, gesturing for Amelia to follow him. She was already familiar with the layout of his house from when they had filmed some skits for Number Two there, but she was glad he was accompanying her. She felt so much better when she was around him.

"I'm really sorry for turning up like this." She repeated, touching his arm as he opened the bedroom door. She followed him inside and flopped down on the bed and closed her eyes. "I just don't want to be alone."

Johnny perched on the end of the bed and watched her. "You know you're always welcome here Amelia. You'll never be alone because you've always got me. Old Knoxville's going nowhere. Now why don't you get some rest? I'm sure between the pair of us, Madison and I can look after Brandon for a while."

Amelia smiled weakly. "Thanks PJ." She kept her eyes closed as she heard him make his way out of the room and close the door but she knew she would not be able to sleep. There were too many thoughts racing through her mind.

Up until now she had pushed aside any feelings she might have had for Johnny in a bid to concentrate on her family and relationship with Bam. The thought alone that she might have feelings for her friend was quite frankly ridiculous. However, now that she was in Johnny's home and completely vulnerable to him, these feelings did indeed seem to exist and were now working their way up to the surface of her consciousness.

Being around Johnny had always had a strange effect on her. She would feel her pulse quicken and her heart pound whenever she was in his presence but she could not explain why. Deep down she knew why he made her feel this way but she had never truly admitted this to herself until looking at Cliver's photos. It was hard to deny something that could be captured so clearly on camera. But when had her feelings for him changed from friendship to so much more? Maybe she had felt this way all along. She had just been too blind to realise and it wasn't until she had been confronted by the tell tale signs in the photographs that she could accept what she had known all along. She was in love with Johnny Knoxville.

Amelia realised she must have slept for a while because it looked dark outside. She climbed out of bed and examined herself in the mirror, shocked at how dreadful she looked. Her clothes were damp with sweat from sleeping in them so she stripped down to her underwear and padded into the ensuite bathroom. It quickly filled with steam after she had turned the shower on and the sensation of the hot water soaking her body was a welcome relief.

She took her time showering and mulled things over in her head. Now that she had accepted that she was in love with him, what was she supposed to do? She also loved Bam. She was married to him and mother to his son and surely that was more important than these feelings for Johnny? But for some reason she was unable to think of anything but him right now. How was she going to be able to look Johnny in the eye? Should she tell him? What if he felt the same? What if he didn't? She groaned out loud at her predicament and wished that the water would dissolve her so that she didn't have to deal with her emotions.

Once she was resigned to the fact that no amount of time in the water was going to either dissolve her or drown her, Amelia climbed out of the shower and wrapped a towel around herself before returning to the bedroom. She was grateful when she realised that Johnny had put her bags in the bedroom at some point while she was asleep and she scrambled through one of them in an attempt to find something to wear. In the end she settled on a baggy blue Dickhouse t-shirt that she had picked up during Number Two and a pair of black leggings that flattered her curves. She towel dried her hair and removed the remaining makeup from around her eyes.

Once dressed and feeling fresher, Amelia scrolled through her phone book looking for possibly the most important number in there. Rose. Her sister was due to fly over to West Chester that evening to spend New Year with Ryan. With any luck Amelia would be able to catch her before she left for the airport.

"Hello Meels, what's up?"

"Hey Rose, have you got a minute?" Amelia asked her sister, relieved that she had answered.

"Sure, I've got an hour or so before I leave. Are you ok? You sound weird."

"I've been better. I err... thought I better warn you that me and Brandon aren't gonna be in West Chester when you arrive." She hesitated, unsure whether or not Ryan had already been in touch to find out if Rose knew where she was.

"What? Why not? Where are you then?" Rose demanded, clearly none the wiser. Maybe everyone had assumed Amelia was indeed going to stay with her parents.

"I'm kind of in LA."

The line was silent as Rose tried to process the information she had just received. "You're _kind of _in LA?"

"I'm in LA. I got here a few hours ago. Bam and I had an argument and I sort of over reacted a little and ended up here." Amelia realised how stupid it all sounded when she said it out loud, but had she really over reacted. She proceeded to explain the argument to her sister, hoping that she would understand how upset she was.

To Amelia's relief, Rose was equally as shocked by Bam's behaviour. "I assume you're staying with Johnny then?"

"Yeah." Amelia replied quietly, feeling almost guilty for it.

"Well, I know he'll take care of you so that's ok." Rose told her. "Does Bam know where you are?"

"No, he thinks I've gone to see mum and dad." Amelia admitted, realising how her lie would collapse as soon as Rose arrived in West Chester. "Please don't tell anyone where I really am. Just say I'm visiting friends or something." She pleaded, well aware of the fall out that would inevitable take place should Bam find out that she was staying with Johnny.

"What's wrong with the truth?"

Amelia sighed; it was time to confide in her sister. She explained everything to Rose, from the two times she and Johnny had kissed to her recent revelation over her feelings for him. Rose remained suitably silent until the very end.

"I can't believe you didn't tell me!" Rose was outraged.

"I'm telling you now." Amelia groaned. It was never the right time to receive a lecture from her younger sister.

"I'm more annoyed that you never told me about kissing him!" Rose scolded as if it was obvious.

Amelia ignored this comment. "So I really don't know where I stand or what to do."

"How does Johnny feel?"

"I haven't told him obviously, so I have no idea." Amelia shook her head at her sister.

"Well are you gonna?"

"I don't know. It's not the kind of thing you casually tell someone is it."

"Life would be a hell of a lot easier if everyone just said what they felt." Rose reminded her.

"That's true. But I think in my case it would be a hell of a lot harder. I have a husband and a child. I can't just go around telling other men that I love them." Amelia sighed.

"You can if it's the truth."

"Can I though? Really?" Amelia asked, not expecting an answer. Rose did not reply. "Anyway I'd better let you go and finish packing. I know what you're like for leaving things til the last minute. Promise to ring when you get to West Chester?" Amelia said to Rose.

"I promise, and Amelia? Promise to try and sort your head out."

"I will." Amelia laughed.

"And promise to talk to Johnny."

Amelia ignored Rose's last comment and quickly said her goodbyes to her sister before ending the call.

She felt a little better for finally admitting her feelings to someone other than herself but the fact remained that she was in a mess and really had no idea how to get out of it. Amelia drew a deep breath before making her way back downstairs. Why did life and love have to be so complicated? Why was nothing ever simple?


	22. Chapter 22

**JOHNNY**

As Johnny left the spare room he exhaled loudly. This New Year had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. He returned downstairs and grabbed a beer before joining his daughter.

"She's pretty huh dad?" Madison grinned, taking Johnny by surprise.

"Who? Oh...Amelia?" he stuttered a little, taken aback by his daughter's bluntness. "Well yeah she is." He laughed the question off, busying himself with his drink. He didn't catch Madison rolling her eyes.

"How come she's staying with us?" Madison continued. "I don't mind. I like her. I just wondered why she's not with her family."

"You ask a lot of questions don't you squirt?" Johnny shook his head laughing, ruffling her hair. "Amelia's staying with us for a while because her husband is an idiot."

"Bam?" Madison queried. Johnny nodded.

She shook her head dramatically and cuddled Brandon. Johnny smiled as he watched his daughter and Amelia's son. His mind wandered to wondering what Bam was doing and thinking right now. Did he realise how much he had upset Amelia or just how much he had to lose? From the moment Johnny had met Amelia it had been clear how much she loved filming and she was damn well good at it. She got on well with all of the guys and the thought of Bam taking that away from her was enough to make Johnny mad. Still, there would always be a place for Amelia in the Jackass family.

Johnny kicked off his converse and rested his feet on the table, earning an annoyed look from his daughter. Ignoring her protests he tried to take his mind off the woman sleeping in his spare room, but it was difficult. He had lost interest in the film they were watching and Madison passed Brandon into his arms while she went to make herself a drink. Johnny looked at the giggling toddler on his lap who seemed content in his company despite Johnny never having spent any time with him before. It had been years since Johnny had been around babies. Madison was a teenager now and sometimes this realisation kept him awake at night. She would always be his little girl.

As Brandon laughed and jabbered at him, Johnny wondered if he should let Bam or April know where Amelia really was. All it would take was a phone call to her mom for them to realise that she was not in England. He dismissed any idea of interfering, not wanting to make things any more difficult for her. She obviously hadn't wanted them to know that she was here, but why? Johnny sighed to himself, receiving an amused look from Brandon. There he was, trying to get on with his life and now she had turned up out of the blue and totally unaware of how painful it was for him to be around her.

Several hours later Amelia appeared at the living room door looking more relaxed and rested. Her hair was damp from the shower and her face was bare of any makeup. It struck Johnny that he had never seen her like this before. She looked more beautiful than ever and he struggled to ignore these feelings.

Amelia caught him staring and looked self conscious but she joined him and Madison on the sofa, thanking them for watching Brandon while she was asleep. Johnny tried to return the toddler to his mother but Brandon would not budge. He was sleepy and obviously quite comfortable where he was in Johnny's arms. Amelia's eyes twinkled as she watched the struggle.

"I think he prefers you." She laughed, sticking her tongue out at Brandon who closed his eyes and snuggled deeper into Johnny's arms.

"Doesn't everyone?" Johnny joked, causing Madison to groan. She had heard that line far too many times and now that Amelia was literally in between them her father could not retaliate.

Johnny pretended to ignore Madison and stole a glance at Amelia who seemed absorbed in the film they were no longer watching. Amelia caught him looking at her and flashed him a smile. The fire that had been missing from her eyes recently was back and it took him by surprise.

"Want a picture Knoxville?" she laughed, teasing him.

"I already have one." He winked back at her and she and Madison giggled.

"Oh you want to start this?" she replied, turning to face him and pulling her best fighting pose.

"I think you already started it." He smirked and turned back to the TV.

"I'll get you when Brandon's in bed. You better sleep with one eye open." She warned, also turning back to TV. "Speaking of which, I'm going to put him down now. He's never slept in a bed before so this will be exciting for him. "

Johnny passed the sleeping infant over to his mother and watched as she carried him out of the room. Brandon had grown a lot since the last time Johnny had seen him and he appeared even bigger in Amelia's small arms.

"Oh dad, you so fancy her!" Madison grinned at Johnny, making him blush.

"Don't be silly Mads." He shook his head. "She's my friend."

"Whatever." Madison sighed, getting up to put another film on.

Amelia returned a few minutes later looking even more refreshed and content. Johnny was happy to see her feeling better than earlier and ignoring the looks he was getting from Madison he stood up and tackled Amelia as she reached the middle of the room.

As he started tickling her, Amelia screamed and collapsed in his arms, laughing hysterically. "Get off me Knoxville!" she yelled, wriggling around but he did not let go. Eventually they fell in a tangled heap on the floor, gasping for breath and laughing. Madison was sitting on the sofa, watching the scene in front of her with an amused look on her face.

Johnny managed to stand up and offered his arm to pull Amelia to her feet. "You're gonna pay for that." She smiled, brushing herself down and taking a seat next to Madison, examining the bruises on her knees.

"I'm sure I will." He smiled back, making his way towards the door. "I'm starving. Pizza anyone?"

Amelia and Madison nodded their heads from the sofa in appreciation.

Several hours and even more pizzas later, Madison had taken herself off to bed. Johnny and Amelia were sitting side by side on the sofa, still wide awake and sharing a bottle of wine. Despite whatever words remained unspoken between the two of them, Johnny felt content and he thought that Amelia did too. She was laughing at the TV and sipping her wine with a smile on her face. He wondered what had miraculously brightened her mood. He wanted to ask her about the email, after all that was the reason he was supposed to be visiting her in the New Year. He wondered if that would go ahead as planned or if Amelia's impromptu visit to LA marked a big change.

Amelia had been quiet for a while and Johnny looked over, realising that she had fallen asleep leaning against him. He was too comfortable and content to move or wake her up so he gently slipped an arm around her and stroked her hair as he continued to watch whatever was on the TV. It was not long before he too dropped off and the next morning Madison would find them in the very same position.


	23. Chapter 23

**AMELIA**

The next morning Amelia awoke on the sofa in Johnny's arms. She was a little surprised as she could not remember how she got there but she did not complain and neither did he apparently.

"Morning." Johnny laughed, running a hand through his tousled brown hair.

"Morning." Amelia replied softly. "I guess we drank more than we thought."

"Yeah, I slept pretty deep." Johnny agreed as they sat up and stretched.

"I'm gonna wake Brandon and take a shower." She smiled and got to her feet.

Brandon was still fast asleep in the big guest bed when Amelia made her way upstairs. He was exhausted from the long plane journey but she knew that he would not sleep that night if she didn't wake him now. After struggling with him for a few minutes, Brandon was finally out of bed and asking to see Madison. It wasn't going to be difficult to keep him entertained in LA if Johnny's daughter was around, Amelia mused.

Amelia decided to spend the remaining days of December getting to know Madison and simultaneously wrestle with her feelings for Johnny. It had been easier than she thought as when she returned to the kitchen for breakfast and coffee there was no awkwardness between them and despite their playful flirtations that morning and the night before she was glad he had not yet mentioned the email. She realised she would have to explain herself eventually but she was still only just coming to terms with the truth herself. She did not want to admit everything to Johnny until she was sure of what she wanted. She was hoping for a chance to speak to Steve at the party. While he was not as close to Johnny as Jeff, he would still probably have some idea of how Johnny was feeling and perhaps that would help her make a decision.

Amelia was determined not to spend her time in LA moping around. That afternoon she busied herself in the kitchen, preparing a meal for Johnny and Madison for that evening while they had taken Brandon to the park. She suspected that Johnny rarely cooked for himself as the kitchen was in pristine condition. She wanted to make some kind of gesture of thanks to them for letting her and Brandon stay.

She was just about to fry the chicken when her phone began ringing, making her jump. Since leaving Westchester she had been reluctant to have her phone around. She had received several calls and texts from home over the night, though none of them from her husband and she had chosen to ignore them, only texting April to let her know she was safe.

Amelia was relieved and also worried when she saw her sister's name flash up on caller id. Rise would be in Westchester by now and would no doubt have news of Bam's reaction to Amelia's departure. She bit her lip anxiously and took the call.

"Hey Rose."

"Hi Meels." Rose sang down the phone, her usual cheery self. "I promised to ring when I got here so, hey. How are you? "

"I'm fine thanks, you? How was the flight?"

"Come on Amelia, enough with the small talk. Let's get to the point. Have you thought anymore about what you're going to do?"

Amelia sighed. "I've thought about nothing else since we last spoke and I still don't know."

"Well, I don't know what to say. It doesn't help that I've been the other side of the world this whole time so it's all kind of out of the blue for me."

"The whole thing is out of the blue Rose. I think I've had these feelings for a long time but I've never really confronted them before."

"I still can't get over the fact that you and Knoxville kissed twice and you never told me." Rose scolded down the phone.

"I didn't want to face up to it." Amelia sighed, wishing her sister would drop that particular subject.

"And now?" Rose pressed on.

"And now I don't know."

"Well, it's weird being here without you. Ryan's worried about Bam." Rose told her gently.

"Why?" Amelia asked anxiously, wondering what he had done now.

"He's not reacted to you leaving at all. He's either in denial or he really just thinks you're visiting mum and dad and doesn't realise how much he's upset you."

Amelia did not say anything. So Bam could not accept the fact that he had hurt her. She wasn't sure if it was worse than him being angry with her for leaving.

"If you want my advice Amelia, I'd stay in LA and sort your head out, at least until Bam's sorted his own head out anyway. He needs to realise what he's got to lose. If he can't see it then, well, maybe that will tell you all you need to know."

"But what if he doesn't realise? What if he doesn't care?"

"That's what I mean. At least you'll know and you can decide what to do. Amelia, do you want me to catch a flight over to LA? Or we could both go back home?" Amelia could hear the worry in her sister's voice. Rose had always been the stronger of the two sisters despite being younger. She had always looked out for Amelia.

"No Rose. Stay with Ryan. I want you to have a good time. Johnny's taking good care of us here."

"Ok sis, as long as you're sure. Shall I keep you updated on Bam or?"

"No thanks. He can text me if he feels the need to talk. I'm gonna do my best to have a good time."

Amelia and Rose hung up but before Amelia could stew over the news about Bam, Johnny and Madison returned hand in hand with Brandon. Amelia realised she was crying and hastily wiped her eyes, thankful that she could blame her tears on the innocent onion lying on the chopping board.

"Something smells good." Johnny grinned as Amelia bent down to hug Brandon.

"It's nothing special." She waved him off casually as he took off his shades and put the car keys down on the table. "Did you guys have fun at the park?"

"Yes!" Brandon exclaimed, waving his arms about in excitement. "We went on the slide and the swings and the see saw!"

"Wow!" Amelia smiled at her son's happiness. He had always been a fairly quiet toddler but now he was chattering away about their time at the park.

"I bet Johnny went on the swings with you didn't he." Amelia grinned, catching Johnny's eye and winking and Brandon nodded furiously, proceeding to describe their time at the park. Although she was smiling and genuinely happy that Brandon had been having a good time, Amelia felt her stomach somersault in that horrible way it had been growing accustomed to. Bam never spent much time with his son and when he did, Brandon was never as excited about it as he seemed right now.

"Come on Mads. Why don't you and Brandon go and get cleaned up for dinner." Johnny turned to his daughter.

Madison didn't need telling twice and led Brandon upstairs while their parents talked. Amelia continued to smile at Johnny and her stomach acrobatics subsided until she had forgotten why she had felt so bad.

"And how are you this afternoon?" Johnny grinned goofily, hoisting himself up on to the counter and watching her intently.

"I'm feeling...ok I guess." She replied as honestly as she could.

"But you were crying?"He stared at her. Damn it, Johnny did not miss a beat.

"I just got off the phone with Rose."

"Oh." He replied, understanding that she must have heard from Bam.

Amelia summed up the phone call whilst missing out the parts about her feelings for him and felt incredibly relieved when Johnny jumped back down from the counter to take her in his arms. They stood embraced in each other's arms for a while and Amelia buried her head on his shoulder, breathing in his intoxicating aroma of aftershave and mint.

"I can't believe he's acting as if nothing has happened. He'll realise what he's got to lose sooner or later and if he doesn't then he doesn't deserve you Amelia." Johnny said quietly into his hair, repeating what Rose had said to her not long ago.

All Amelia could do was nod and wonder if he was right.

That night Amelia could not sleep. Dinner had been a success and she had chance to bond with Madison as they cleared the dishes. Johnny was lucky to have such a beautiful and intelligent daughter. Amelia opened her eyes and stared at her own son who was now sleeping peacefully beside her. Despite the upheaval and the break in routine, he had coped with their trip to LA incredibly well and over the course of the day had grown even more attached to Madison.

She wondered how he would react when they returned to Westchester but the thought of going back any time soon filled her with dread. That town held so many memories of working on the show for her, all of which Bam was trying to ensure would never be replaced with new ones and it made her feel sick to her stomach that the man she loved would do something like that to her. But Bam was not the only man she loved. She realised she had started crying and tried to stay quiet to avoid waking Brandon but it was difficult. She felt so lost and all of a sudden she wished she had gone to England as she had planned. At least she would have been able to avoid having to deal with these feelings.

Desperate not to wake Brandon, she climbed out of bed and kissed him softly on the head before tiptoeing out of the door. Lying there and mulling over the millions of thoughts in her head was not going to help her sleep so she gave up. She was just about to make her way downstairs for a drink when she found herself standing in front of Johnny's bedroom door. She paused, trying to work out why she was standing here. Putting common sense and reasoning to one side as she often tended to, Amelia pushed open his door as quietly as she could and padded inside. She saw the bed and Johnny's sleeping form under the covers and made her way over. She could not fight the overwhelming urge to be beside him and slid under the covers next to him, ignoring the part of her brain that was telling her it was a bad idea.

She could feel the immense heat radiating from his body and he rolled over onto his back as she shuffled closer. He was wearing only boxer shorts and she watched him warily but he did not open so much as an eye as he stretched out an arm so that she could lie as close to him as possible. Amelia placed her head gently on Johnny's shoulder and turned her body to face him as she put a soft hand on his chest and closed her eyes.


	24. Chapter 24

**JOHNNY**

Johnny had not been able to sleep. Since Amelia's arrival he had not been able to stop thinking of ways to tell her how he really felt and even if she did not feel the same it was better to let it out than keep all his emotions building up inside. He had been tossing and turning in frustration when he heard a door creak open on the landing. He lay still, assuming it was Madison going to get a drink but when a set of footsteps approached his room he could feel his heart pounding and he held his breath. Amelia.

He opened his eyes and found himself staring at the wall away from his door. The footsteps disappeared for a few seconds but before he had chance to steady his breathing a shadow filled the room as his door was opened quietly and the footsteps made their way over to him in bed. He lay as still as possible, trying to take long, deep breaths but it was incredibly difficult when the intruder slipped into bed beside him. He could smell her perfume and he shivered when he felt her cool skin against his as she shuffled closer to him. Unsure what to do in this strange situation, Johnny closed his eyes and rolled over so that his back was no longer facing her.

His instincts continued to take over as he stretched out an arm, hoping she would allow him to put it round her. Amelia waited until his arm was out and placed her head on his shoulder. He could feel her soft hair falling over his skin and he hoped he was not breathing too quickly as she stretched out her own arm to place a hand on his chest. When she seemed to have settled Johnny wrapped her in his arms a little tighter and turned his head so that he could breathe her in. Her hair tickled his face as he nuzzled her gently and he listened as her own breathing indicated that she had fallen asleep. In the comfort of her presence it did not take long for him to finally drift to sleep either.

The next morning Johnny was woken by the sunlight streaming through his curtains. His eyes flickered open and was instantly reminded of his late night visitor. Amelia was still sleeping soundly next to him and through the course of the night they had rolled over so that Amelia's back was pressed into Johnny's torso and he had an arm draped firmly around her waist. He was amazed at how perfectly the curve of their bodies fit together. He was so comfortable and as he buried his head deeper into the crook of her neck he wished they could lie like this forever.

Unfortunately, Johnny knew that it was a stupid wish and he untangled himself from her, not wanting to make her feel awkward when she eventually awoke. With a last wistful look at Amelia, Johnny dragged himself out of bed and downstairs to make coffee. His head was thumping as if he had been drinking the night before and his throat felt as if he had been smoking in his sleep. As he filled the kettle over the sink he caught sight of his reflection in the kitchen window. His hair was sticking up all over the place and the dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced than ever. He guessed he must be finally paying for all the sleepless nights he had been having prior to Amelia's arrival.

When Amelia emerged sometime later that morning, words were not exchanged regarding the fact that they had spent the past two nights together. She seemed bright and bubbly with no trace of awkwardness around her. It was almost as if there was no need to explain their actions and Johnny was not sure whether or not this was a good thing.

Keen to get out of the house for some fresh air, Johnny told Amelia and Madison that he was going to pick up some supplies for New Year and he left the keys to his Jeep in case Amelia felt like going out at all. After stopping at the store to buy some beer and wine, Johnny decided to drop by the offices on the off chance that Jeff was still working. As he pulled up in the car park sure enough he spotted Jeff's van.

"PJ." Jeff acknowledged from behind his computer screen. His hair was a mess and he had a striking five o'clock shadow that made him look slightly insane and there was a manic glint in his eyes as if he had not been sleeping properly either. Johnny conceded that he probably hadn't.

"Tremaine." Johnny replied in a similar fashion as he took a seat opposite Jeff. "When did you last leave the office?"

"Can't remember." Jeff replied, returning his gaze to the screen in front of him. "I'm trying to get this proposal done for the network."

Johnny nodded and waited patiently as Jeff saved the file that he had been working on and moved away from the computer.

"I've been waiting to hear from you." Jeff remarked as if he was rather pleased with himself. "I knew it wouldn't be long."

"What do you mean?" Johnny raised an eyebrow in confusion. When had Jeff gotten so cryptic?

"Amelia." Jeff chuckled to himself. "She came here when she first arrived because she couldn't remember your address."

"Oh." The realisation started to sink in. Still, at least Jeff knew why he was here and there would be far less explaining to do.

"So..." Jeff prompted him. "Spill the beans."

"There's nothing to spill Jeff." Johnny sighed. "I actually came for some advice. "

"That's got to be a first." Jeff laughed, but then he seemed to put all jokes aside and turned to Johnny seriously. "What's up PJ?"

"Well, I think it's safe to assume you know my feelings for Amelia."

Jeff nodded silently.

"Having her around is so frustrating. I'd just started to move on when she turned up and now all those feelings for her that I'd pushed away have come back, stronger than ever. It's taking all my strength to try and keep my distance. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Should I tell her Jeff? I want to, but I don't want to lose her."

"It's not an easy situation, that's for sure." Jeff sighed.

"I know. Even if I tell her everything and by some miracle she feels the same, there's no way we could work. There's no chance of a relationship."

"Do you think she could feel the same way?"

"I have no idea. Sometimes I think I can see it in her eyes when she looks at me, but then I tell myself it's just wishful thinking. Last night she came and slept in my bed with me."

Jeff raised his eyebrows but did not say anything.

"But then I told myself she was just feeling lonely. And l like I said, we could never work because she's married to Bam. Even if they were to split up, they have a child together and what would that do to Jackass? People would end up taking sides, and think of the magazines! They'd have a field day."

"PJ, you're ranting. Do you want a glass of water?"

Johnny shook his head and lowered it dramatically on to the desk. "I'm sorry Jeff. I just...don't know what to do."

"I think you should talk to her. Tell her how you feel. She's obviously not happy with Bam and it has nothing to do with you. I think you owe her the truth and you'll never know how she really feels until you admit how you really feel."

Johnny nodded. Jeff was probably right as usual. He stopped to chat with him about work in general for a while before saying his goodbyes and heading back home to Amelia, Madison and Brandon. When he returned to the house, they were nowhere to be found and it wasn't until he walked upstairs and heard giggles coming from Madison's room that he discovered what they were up to.

Amelia was sat on the bed behind Madison, braiding her hair while Madison experimented with Amelia's makeup and Brandon sat happily playing with Madison's teddies. The three of them looked so happy and content. Johnny stood quietly at the door, hoping they would not notice him. Jeff was definitely right. He needed to talk to Amelia and tell her how he felt, even if nothing came of it. So far he had skipped on every opportunity to tell her, right from the first time they went out to dinner in Westchester and up to her wedding night. New Year's Eve would be the night. He would tell her everything.


	25. Chapter 25

**AMELIA**

Johnny had planned on spending a quiet New Year's Eve with Madison and his special guests but word had travelled fast that Amelia was in town and Steve, Chris, Jeff, Dimitry, Wee Man and their girlfriends had invited themselves over to celebrate. Although Amelia was worried about what they would think of her presence in Johnny's house she was sure that they would have a good time.

The day before, Amelia had borrowed Johnny's car and taken Madison into town to buy outfits for the party. Amelia had chosen a short black, figure hugging dress and a pair of black boot shoes to go with it and now as she slipped it on before the party she felt happy and confident, determined that the night would be great. She blow dried her long hair and curled it into tumbling waves that cascaded over her shoulders and now almost reached her lower back. For the first time since Christmas she applied more make up than simply mascara, and when she was finally ready she made her way down to the party where everyone was waiting for her.

No one seemed to think much of Amelia's being there in LA rather than Westchester, or if they did they were quiet about it, for which Amelia was incredibly grateful. She caught up with everyone and made small talk, happy to be around familiar friendly faces. Amelia was finally introduced to Chris and Jeff's long term girlfriend's Claire and Laura, both of who seemed lovely and incredibly patient with their other halves, much like Amelia must have appeared when she was with Bam. Having never met before they seemed a little confused that she was in fact Bam's wife and not Johnny's girlfriend.

"Long story." She laughed, her eyes betraying her smile.

Steve brought along his current girlfriend but seemed more interested in drinking than in her. Then again, so did she, so perhaps they were the perfect match. She was pretty in a fake, Hollywood Botox kind of way.

Johnny, although reluctant at first to have a party, was in his element as the host. Amelia did not have a problem looking after Brandon as Claire and Laura fawned over him all night. Amelia grimaced as they expressed their shock at how young she was to be married with a child. They were both approaching their thirties and Amelia felt uncomfortably young. She was relieved when it was time to put Brandon to bed, hoping that the conversation would move away from her life.

Despite his protests, Amelia finally got Brandon to settle but she was ambushed on her way down the stairs by Jeff.

"Shit Jeff! You scared me!" she laughed, touching his arm to steady herself.

"Sorry Amelia, I didn't mean to make you jump." He chuckled. "I just wanted to make sure you were ok. It took me by surprise when you turned up at the offices the other day."

Amelia nodded and decided she owed Jeff some kind of explanation. "I'm fine I just...need some space." She proceeded to explain the situation with Bam.

Jeff listened intently and wrapped an arm around her in comfort. "Bam's a dick Amelia." He sighed. "You know there will always be a job for you at Dickhouse."

"Thanks Jeff." She smiled, her eyes shining.

"No, I'm serious Amelia. I need someone like you around. Whatever happens with you and Bam, I could do with you around. Don't forget that." He pulled her into a bear hug but Amelia thought he seemed a little preoccupied.

"Are you ok Jeff?"

"Yeah I'm fine. I'm just...it's Knoxville. Normally I wouldn't get involved but I'm worried about him. He has a lot on his mind and it's driving me insane. You need to talk to him. I think it would help both of you."

Amelia frowned and was about to question Jeff when Johnny appeared at the foot of the stairs, wanting to know what was keeping them. Jeff looked pointedly at Amelia before making his way back down the stairs. She smiled innocently at Johnny and followed after Jeff.

The party was in full swing and midnight was fast approaching. Amelia was enjoying herself but she could not stop thinking about what Jeff had said. As if reading her mind, she felt Johnny's hand on her shoulder as he joined her in the kitchen where she was refilling her glass.

"Meels, can we talk?" he asked, startling her. His eyes were wide and he seemed nervous.

"Uh, sure." She replied and followed him out of the back door.

His huge garden was illuminated by the outdoor light and the trees were reflected in the gently rippling pool water. She loved LA. Even in the depths of winter it was warm enough to sit outside without a coat. They took a seat on the decking and Amelia smoothed down her dress, waiting for Johnny to speak first. He had seemed his usual lively and outgoing self only a few minutes ago but now he had gone quiet and almost awkward.

"I have something for you." He smiled nervously when he realised she was staring at him apprehensively. "It was supposed to be for the wedding but I completely forgot to give it to you."

Amelia's heart raced as she watched him dig through his pocket and produce a small box. He turned to Amelia and opened the box. She gasped when she saw the dainty golden necklace with a tiny star shaped pendant.

Johnny smiled, passing her the box. "I wanted to get you something special. You're my best friend after all. I should have given it to you ages ago but I guess the night before the wedding wasn't really the right moment."

Amelia tried desperately to keep her tears inside as she took the necklace in her hand and Johnny approached her. "It's beautiful PJ." She smiled softly.

"Just like you." He nudged her slightly and held out his hand. "Here, I'll put it on."

Amelia realised she was still wearing the necklace that Bam had given her for their first Christmas together. She had never stopped wearing it. She held up her hair to bare the back of her neck for Johnny as he stepped behind her and crouched down so that he was level with her. He fastened the necklace gently around her neck and it fell perfectly just beside Bam's silver heart.

Johnny's hand lingered on her shoulder and he leaned over and pressed his lips to her neck ever so softly. Amelia sat perfectly still and held her breath as she closed her eyes. She could feel his hot breath against her skin and she willed him to kiss her.

"Amelia." He whispered, not moving his lips away.

"Mmhm?" She murmured, keeping her head still. Her heart was threatening to break through her rib cage at any given moment and her rapid pulse was making her feel dizzy. Her stomach resumed its somersaulting as she waited on baited breath for what came next.

"I'm in love with you Amelia." He continued to whisper and she was more aware than ever than of his soft hand on her shoulder and his hot breath on her neck.

She remained silent and in shock, not sure if she had heard him correctly as he let his hand drop and pulled away from her. Amelia turned her head to watch him return to his seat opposite.

"There's no point beating around the bush or trying to deny it anymore. I love you Amelia. I always have and I always will. I'm fucking crazy about you and kissing you at the wedding might have been a mistake but I don't regret it. I can't think of anything but you. You're my best friend and I'm sorry but I love you Amelia Jones."

Amelia's jaw dropped as he spoke at a fairly rapid pace and she tried to take in everything he was saying. She wasn't sure if she was shocked or if she had suspected all along, but hearing him say those words out loud still came as a huge surprise. She couldn't seem to find her voice and Johnny was looking worried. She didn't really know what to say. Her best friend had just admitted that he was in love with her. And she felt the same way.

"Please say something Amelia, even if it's just to shout at me please just say something. Tell me what you meant in that email? I need to know how you feel."

Amelia looked into his desperate eyes and she knew that it was now or never. "Johnny, I love you too."


	26. Chapter 26

**WESTCHESTER**

New Year's Eve in Westchester was a much grander affair. Bam had invited half of the town to Castle Bam to celebrate and in the midst of the commotion; he himself was nowhere to be found. Rose and Ryan were sitting outside on the decking, sharing a joint that Ryan had procured from someone. The past few days had been unusually quiet in the castle but it seemed that Bam was making up for it now with this unnecessarily over the top party. He still seemed to be in denial about Amelia's departure and although Ryan had tried talking to him about it, it was no use. He could not see how he was in the wrong and was not prepared to chase her when he had nothing to apologise for.

Rose was frustrated. She knew about her sister's feelings for Johnny but she felt so useless. She couldn't even confide in Ryan because she knew as Bam's best friend he would have no choice but to tell him. Everyone still thought that Amelia had gone back to England and Rose was happy to play along with that story.

"Babe, what's wrong? You've been really quiet all night." Ryan turned to Rose and put a hand on her knee.

"I was just thinking about Amelia." She sighed. She had looked forward to seeing Amelia and her nephew but as it turned out she would have to wait another few months before seeing them again.

"I'm sure she's fine. You'll see her when you go back home won't you?" he smiled reassuringly but something about her expression planted the seed of doubt in his mind.

"She is in England isn't she Rose?" Ryan raised an eyebrow at his girlfriend's silence.

Rose rubbed her head in frustration and took a long drag of the joint. She could not lie to Ryan and even if she could he would be able to tell.

"Rose?" he repeated, staring at her intently.

She shook her head slowly and passed the joint to Ryan.

"Where is she Rose?" he asked gently.

"LA."

"LA? What's she doing there?" he asked, frowning.

Rose paused before answering and turned to the back door, thinking she had heard someone behind them. Once she was confident there was no one around to eavesdrop, she continued. "She's staying with Johnny."

"Of course. Knoxville." Ryan nodded, as if a light had gone off in his head and everything was becoming clear. He was well aware of Johnny's feelings for Amelia and although he could not be sure what his intentions were, he had a pretty good idea.

Rose looked puzzled and prompted Ryan to explain.

"Knoxville's in love with your sister. He has been since they met back when we started the show and if Amelia's ran off to him after rowing with Bam then, well, who knows what's happened."

Rose stared at him in disbelief. "He's in love with her?"

"Well yeah, it's not that hard to imagine is it? They're practically inseparable when they're together. It's always been that way and Bam's always had a problem with it."

"I had no idea Johnny felt that way." Rose shook her head, thinking back to her phone call to Amelia the other day. She wondered if her sister knew that the man she was in love with felt the same way.

"Well he does, and he's probably making a move on her as we speak." Ryan told her dramatically.

Rose bit her lip and Ryan could tell that she was trying to hide something from him. She realised she might as well tell him what she knew, hell, everyone would probably find out sooner or later.

"Amelia's in love with Johnny." She said so quietly that Ryan could only just tell what she was saying.

"What?" he exclaimed, his face contorting in confusion.

Rose summed up Amelia's phone call to Ryan, leaving him staring off into the distance in surprise.

"Well, that really changes things doesn't it?" He said after a while.

"Are you going to tell Bam?" Rose asked worriedly, not wanting to imagine how her brother in law would react to the news.

Ryan shrugged. "I don't know. He doesn't seem particularly bothered that he's not heard from her does he?"

"Please don't say anything to him Ryan. Amelia needs some time to deal with this on her own."

"Ok." Ryan conceded and he leant over to kiss her on the cheek.

The next morning a huge cleanup operation was under way, headed of course by April. The guys including Dico, Rake, Raab and Novak had been enlisted to help alongside Rose and Ryan but Bam was still nowhere to be found. This would have not been a particularly unusual occurrence, had it not been for his missing passport, the absence of the Hummer and as April noted the fact that one of the overnight bags was gone.

"You don't think he overheard us last night do you?" Rose asked frantically. Ryan had tried ringing Bam over and over again but there was no answer.

"I don't know." He sighed. "I really don't know."

Rose followed Ryan in to Bam and Amelia's bedroom and sat down on the bed. She wondered if she should ring to warn Amelia that Bam might be on his way, but then again he had shown no interest in her whereabouts for the rest of the week. For all they knew he might have gone anywhere else in the world.

"Try ringing him one more time." Rose suggested. She did not want to worry her sister unnecessarily and she watched silently as Ryan paced around the room and dialled Bam's number once again.

All of a sudden a ring tone filled the room. Rose and Ryan simultaneously jumped and Rose scrambled over to the bedside table where a battered Blackberry lay vibrating. She picked it up and saw Ryan's name flashing on the screen. The idiot had only gone and left his phone at home. She showed it to Ryan who threw his own phone down on the bed in frustration. They looked at one another helplessly, knowing that all they could do now was to wait until either Bam or Amelia got in contact with them.

"Let's never get married." Rose joked.

"Agreed." Ryan laughed, sitting down beside her on the bed and placing an arm around her.

She tilted her head onto his shoulder and tried to force thoughts of her sister out of her head. Amelia was old enough and independent enough to take care of herself, but Rose often felt like she needed to look out for her, especially when guys were concerned. Amelia had the tendency to allow men to walk all over her.

Rose and Ryan sat in silence for a few minutes. Rose was staring at the photo on the bedside table of Bam, Amelia and Brandon that had been taken the day he had been born. They both looked so happy and in love, she wondered how things could have changed so much. Suddenly Bam's phone began to ring, making them both jump again. Instinctively Rose picked up the phone to look at the caller ID on the off chance that it might be Amelia. The name however, was not familiar to Rose.

"Terri?" she questioned, looking at Ryan to see if he recognised it.

His face had turned pale and he took the phone off her to answer it. "Terri?" he said into the phone.

Rose frowned at him, unable to hear the other line. From the look on his face she was sure the fact that this 'Terri' was ringing Bam could not be a good thing.

"Do you know where Bam is?.. No, I don't... He's left his phone at home... When did you last see him?... Oh you did?... And?... You do know he's married now don't you... Yeah that's right... Well I suggest you stay away...goodbye."

Rose turned to look at Ryan. "What the hell was that about? Who's Terri?"

Ryan sighed. He was reluctant to tell Rose as she was Amelia's sister but she deserved to know the truth. "Bam used to see Terri from time to time while he was still with Jenn. And by see, I mean sleep with. And by from time to time I mean a lot of the time. He ditched her a few months before Amelia arrived here. As far as I know he hadn't seen her since but Terri just told me they've been 'hanging out' recently. "

Rose felt a wave of anger sweep over her. "So...what are you saying?"

"I think Bam's seeing her again."

Rose looked at him in disbelief. She knew that Bam could be an asshole but she had never thought he was capable of being that much of an asshole. "I'll kill him." She muttered, feeling her cheeks flush with rage.

Ryan felt just as angry with Rose. The last time he had felt this angry with his friend was when he ditched Amelia during her pregnancy at Ryan and Johnny had found him semi-conscious from the amount of alcohol he had consumed, in some dirty motel room. Now Bam had finally started to sort his life out. Meeting Amelia had helped him cut down on the drinking and partying and he had settled down with a wife and son. How stupid could Bam be to jeopardise all of that with a whore like Terri. He wondered if she had something to do with Bam cutting Amelia out of the show. Perhaps he was feeling guilty and thought that by having Amelia around less would help. "I'll kill him too." Ryan murmured, staring in disgust at Bam's phone that he still held in his hand.

"How sure are you that he's actually sleeping with her?" Rose asked Ryan. "We need to tell Amelia. This will change her whole outlook on the Johnny situation because I know how guilty she feels about hiding everything from Bam."

"I'm almost certain." Ryan sighed. "I know Bam too well, and I also know that Terri would not let something as trivial as marriage and family come in the way of getting her claws back into Bam. Do you know something? I always thought that if Bam did ever fuck things up it would be with Jenn, not Terri. He and Jenn had a lot of history and I was always worried that he was going to slip up and see her again. I even went out of my way to make sure Jenn didn't turn up at the wedding. As it turns out I've been worrying about the wrong person."

Rose sighed and put a hand on Ryan's back. "You weren't to know how much of an idiot he is."

Ryan shook his head. "Yes I was. He's been my best friend for over thirteen years. I know exactly what he's like and capable of."

Rose held her tongue, wishing Ryan would not feel so guilty. There was nothing he could have done to stop his friend. "I guess this changes everything huh?"

Ryan nodded. Rose was right. They had to warn Amelia, especially if Bam was on his way to LA to try and win her back. "I don't think it's such a good idea to ring Amelia. Let's go and visit. Something like this is better said in person."

Rose agreed. She wanted to be there for Amelia when she broke the news. "I'll pack while you book the tickets."


	27. Chapter 27

**JOHHNY**

_Amelia looked into his desperate eyes and she knew that it was now or never. "Johnny, I love you too."_

"You do?" Johnny exclaimed. He was not sure if he had heard her correctly, but she nodded slightly.

"I've been so blind. It's taken me all this time to realise and accept it but I love you. I don't really know how to explain it, but when I'm with you everything seems so much better. It just feels right." She pulled her hands through her hair as if she was frustrated. "I can't believe I'm telling you this. I still don't understand it myself. I don't know how to feel or what I'm supposed to do. All I know is that I am in love with you PJ."

Now Johnny did not know what to say. He was stunned by her revelation. Never had he truly thought that she would ever feel the same way. He was ten years older than her with a teenage daughter, an ex wife and a ridiculously hectic movie career, and now there they were, both declaring their love. If only it could be that simple. Johnny was about to ask her what happened next but she cut him off.

"I'm having such a good night Johnny. I don't think I could be much happier right now so let's not dwell on the impossibility of the situation. I just want to see in the New Year with you."

Who was he to argue? He nodded silently and they smiled nervously at one another, both wondering what would happen now. Johnny could hear a commotion from inside the house and realised that it must be nearly midnight. He nudged Amelia as the others started to make their way into the garden. Chris and Steve had set up some fireworks to let off when the ball dropped and everyone was gathering outside to watch. Amelia and Johnny stood up and joined the group as Steve swaggered across the garden to light the display.

Chris started a countdown from twenty and Johnny slid his arm around Amelia, gently pulling her closer to him. The fireworks were lit by the count of five and Steve hurried back to stand with his girlfriend. As they reached zero the fireworks exploded and Chris yelled "Happy New Year!" to everyone. The couples embraced and Johnny glanced down at Amelia.

"Happy new year." He whispered.

She smiled nervously so he leant down and pressed his lips against hers for what felt like the first time now that they both knew how the other truly felt. He put his other arm around her waist and pulled her even closer to him. Amelia responded by putting her hands around his neck and kissing him back a little more forcefully.

Johnny didn't care if anyone was watching or what they thought. He had never been so happy to see in the New Year. The fireworks flying through the night sky matched those going off in his stomach as Amelia deepened the kiss. They pulled apart as the last firework fell to earth in a sprinkling of ash. The others seemed not to have noticed the exchange between them, or if they had they were graciously overlooking it for the evening. Amelia and Johnny continued to grin nervously as they accepted a glass of champagne from Jeff and made their way around to exchanging hugs and kisses with the other guests.

Johnny was sure to embrace Madison first but he earned a mischievous grin from his daughter as he kissed her on the cheek, leaving him with the impression that she at least had witnessed the kiss although she did not say as much. He looked at her questioningly but she simply winked and walked off to continue the party inside with the others.

Now that his feelings for Amelia were finally out in the open, or at least to her, Johnny felt much better than he had in a long time. He drained his champagne glass quickly and watched as Amelia whispered something in to Steve's ear. Steve glanced over at Johnny and grinned insanely, earning him a smack on the arm from Amelia.

Johnny waited for Amelia to catch up with him before returning inside. He had so many thoughts and ideas running through his head; so many questions that needed answering, but Amelia had been right. They should enjoy the night and deal with what came next some other time.

Enjoying their night was not difficult when they had Steve and Chris around to provide entertainment. Their close group of friends continued to turn a blind eye to the fact that Amelia and Johnny seemed a little closer than 'just friends' that night.

The next day Johnny woke up with Amelia in his arms for the third time that week and he was not complaining. He was, however, not overly impressed with the banging headache and distinct feeling of nausea he was experiencing thanks to the copious amount of alcohol he had consumed the night before. All it took was one glance down at Amelia to know she was feeling just as bad.

"Can we pay Madison to babysit today?" was the first groggy sentence she spoke to him, her head feeling particularly heavy on his shoulder.

"I'm sure she won't mind." Johnny tried to chuckle but it hurt his head.

"Good, because I don't think I can get out of bed. That wine really did me in." She moaned, turning her head to face his bare chest.

"I'm glad I'm not the only one feeling rough." He sighed, closing his eyes again and nuzzling her hair.

Johnny started to drift off to sleep again when the bedroom door creaked open. He opened one lazy eye to see his daughter standing in the doorway.

"Madison." He croaked.

"Somebody had a good night." She joked, appearing frustratingly cheerful and lively considering the late night she had had. "I brought you some painkillers"

Johnny smiled appreciatively as she threw the packet of pills towards the bed. Madison had seen him like this plenty of times and although he was well aware that he was not setting the best example for her, he was glad she was sensible and took after her mother. "Don't suppose you fancy babysitting for the day do you squirt? "He added before she left the room.

"I figured I would be doing that today." She grinned. "You both drank a shit ton last night. Oops sorry. I mean, you both drank lots last night. But I don't mind. I like looking after Brandon."

Johnny laughed as his daughter forgot herself. He knew spending time with the jackasses was a bad influence on her but she loved them so much and they all loved her. "Thanks Mads. Love you."

"Love you too dad. See you later Amelia." And with that the door was pulled shut and the room went dark again.

Amelia groaned into his chest. "What must Madison think of me? I'm a married woman in bed with her dad."

Johnny laughed and stroked her arm reassuringly. "Hey, it's still technically New Year so we're not dealing with that today, we're having a good time remember." He was not quite ready to bring up the discussion of what happened next and preferred to make the most of this time alone with Amelia now that he had admitted his feelings.

"Speak for yourself Knoxville. I can't say I'd class being this hung over as having a good time." She grinned, pulling the covers further up around her.

"Well, would you rather be hung over and alone, or hung over with me?" he teased, leaning over to look at her.

"That depends."

"On what?"

"On how well you look after me." She smiled and brought her hand back up to his chest, tracing his 'Madison' tattoo.

"I'll do my best." He saluted her before taking her hand in his own and squeezing it gently. Amelia sighed contentedly.

"Thank you Johnny. I don't know if I've ever actually said it to you before, but thank you so much."

"For what?" he asked as she looked up at him. Her green eyes sparkled.

"For always being there for me, right from day one when Bam was acting like a dick in that club, and then again when we were shooting Number Two. You were the only person I knew I could turn to when I thought I was pregnant and you were the one who helped me when Bam left. I think deep down I always knew there was something more between us but it was so hard to admit because of Bam and our friendship."

"Amelia, I'd do anything for you." He said, holding her tighter. "I love you so much. Yours and Madison's happiness means more to me than anything in the world."

Amelia smiled and closed her eyes.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Another huge thanks to <strong>_**TheFreakMagnet**_** and **_**TryDefyingGravity322**_** for all of your lovely reviews! Thanks for sticking with the story :) Your comments always put a smile on my face and continue to motivate me. Thanks :)**_

_**Also, I've created some looks for what the characters are wearing in each chapter. I've tried posting a link but it won't work so message me if you're interested :) **_


	28. Chapter 28

**AMELIA**

It was the second day of the year and after spending the previous day lounging around the house and nursing a horrific hangover, Amelia decided she would take Madison and Brandon for a walk on the beach that morning. The sun was out and it looked like it was going to be another beautiful day. Amelia wanted to spend some quality time with her little boy and make the most of the beach and the weather. She was also keen to take a little time away from Johnny so that she could assess her feelings and attempt to work out what she was going to do next.

She was still reeling from the shock of Johnny admitting that he was in love with her. Despite the times they had kissed and the close relationship they shared she had never really entertained the notion that he felt anything more for her than friendship. The first kiss had been little more than one friend comforting another and the second had been a drunken mistake, or at least that's what she had convinced herself of up until now, and she was starting to realise how naive she had been. Johnny had not left her with much choice but to admit the truth to him too. But where did this leave them?

Amelia pulled up in a car park on the sea front and stood back as Madison helped get Brandon out of the car. Going out without his pushchair had proven to be a challenge throughout the week but it was giving him plenty of practice on his feet. The three of them made their way carefully down to the beach and on to the sand. Madison and Brandon ran ahead towards the sea and Amelia strolled calmly behind them, shades down and hair tousled by the wind coming from the sea. It was not long before Madison and Brandon had taken to paddling in the water with their shoes off and Amelia smiled as she scooped their shoes up and continued walking.

She remembered the last time she had been on this beach during the filming of Number Two when she had received the phone call from Ehren telling her that Bam was in hospital. They had fallen out then too because he felt she was spending too much time with the other guys. It was silly really. How was she supposed to do her job without being around them? Luckily that time she and Bam had patched things up and everything had been ok in the end. Perhaps she should have seen things coming though? Their relationship had not got off to a smooth start with Bam's constant mood swings and of course the fact that he had deserted her when she needed him most. It had been Johnny who was there for her then and Johnny who had brought Bam back.

It was funny really. So much had changed in the space of a year. This time twelve months ago she and Johnny had just rekindled their emailing and now, well, now things had gone so fast. Despite the fact that their feelings were out in the open, Amelia had no idea what she really wanted. She was a married woman now, all be it an unhappy one and she had Brandon to think about. He needed a father. But was Bam really what he needed? Johnny had split up with his wife but Madison seemed happy.

She could go back and try to work things out with Bam, but if he was still adamant on cutting her out of the show then where would that leave her? Jeff had all but offered her a job at Dickhouse but that would mean moving to Los Angeles permanently. Regardless of the situation between her and Johnny, did she really want to leave Bam and Westchester? She needed to decide what was more important, her work or her family? No, put like that it did not quite sound right. Maybe the question she should be asking was her happiness or her marriage?

Amelia groaned out loud. She knew she was going to have to return to Westchester. She could not leave things up in the air as they were. She needed to talk to Bam. She loved him. Maybe if she went back with a clear head they could work things out, after all they had only been married for a few months. However she remembered what Rose had said and Bam had still not got in touch with her. Maybe he had made his own mind up, but whatever happened she was going to have to go back and try to set things straight.

All she knew was that she wanted to be with Johnny. The thought alone created a swarm of butterflies in her stomach. The idea of waking up next to him every morning sent shivers down her spine, but she could not trust her feelings just yet, she had Brandon to think of first. Her main priority was to make sure that she did best by him and if that meant negotiating with Bam then so be it. She owed it to her son to at least try and make a go of things with his father.

Amelia came to a stop and sat herself down, kicking off her shoes and socks and digging her feet into the soft grains of sand. She loved the beach. It reminded her of the family summer holidays when she and Rose were little and neither of them had a care in the world, just like Madison now. She remembered being Madison's age. The thought of boys had still not quite entered her head and she was quite content in her own world of books and music. She watched as Madison and Brandon hurried over to her. Madison took a seat beside Amelia and Brandon threw himself into his mother's arms. She smiled and pulled him onto her lap, kissing his head. She still wondered where the past ten years had gone. It only felt like yesterday that she and Rose were building sandcastles with their father. Now Amelia had a child of her own. She looked down at Brandon, who seemed so much happier than normal this week. He loved spending time with Madison and Johnny and his speech seemed to be improving every day.

"Are you staying with us now Amelia?" Madison asked, lying back into the sand and staring at the clear blue sky.

"I don't know honey." Amelia sighed, still wrestling with her conscience.

"I think you should stay. I want you to and I know dad does too."

Amelia blushed slightly. She found it strange how Madison did not seem to have a problem with whatever was going on between her and Johnny. "You do?"

Madison sat back up and nodded enthusiastically. "Dad's been so much happier since you got here. Before you came he was just sitting moping around doing my head in. He was so depressed. But you make him happy."

"He was depressed?" Amelia frowned. She had never known Johnny to be anything other than his usual hyperactive and super confident self. She had a nagging feeling that she was responsible if he had been feeling down lately.

"Yup. I think he gets lonely when I'm at mom's. I know he's always busy filming and stuff and he has loads of friends but mom says he's not had a girlfriend in ages."

Amelia stared at Madison. Johnny's daughter was incredibly observant. She wondered just how much she had picked up about Amelia over the past week.

"So please stay Amelia. " Madison continued. "You're really cool and young and pretty and you make my dad so happy."

Amelia laughed slightly and held out her arm to pull Madison into a hug, wondering how to reply to that.

The wind was picking up and Brandon was beginning to get tired so Amelia ushered them back to the car with the promise of ice cream. As she drove through the streets of LA she continued her battle with what she wanted and what she needed to do for the best. In the end, the best won out. She wanted to be with Johnny but she needed to do was best for Brandon. She would return to Westchester and try to reason with Bam and sort her head out. She was feeling ok about talking to Johnny. She knew he would understand.


	29. Chapter 29

**JOHNNY**

Johnny finished clearing up the mess from New Year while Amelia and the kids were at the beach. He was trying to get his head together while she was out and he tried to figure out what he was going to say to her when they finally had the talk. Deep down he wanted her to leave Bam and come and live with him but he knew that was a long shot. He didn't even know if she wanted a relationship with him and he didn't want to scare her off. Instead he thought he would wait and see what she had to say. Amelia was the one with the most to lose.

He heard the front door open and the sound of footsteps approach the living room. Amelia peered her head around the door. "Hey." She smiled, looking windswept but as beautiful as ever.

"Hey. Have fun at the beach?" he asked as she walked over at sat beside him on the sofa, curling her legs up underneath her. Brandon followed after and tried to climb up on to Johnny's lap.

She nodded and grinned as Johnny pulled Brandon up into his arms. "Brandon loved it, and I had a nice chat with Madison."

Johnny smiled. He was glad that she and his daughter got on so well. It was a shame that Mel would be picking Madison up later. 

"Johnny." She murmured quietly, looking at Brandon absent mindedly. "I've had some time to think. About us."

Johnny's heart fluttered anxiously. It was now or never. "And?"

"I need to go back to Westchester."

Johnny nodded and tried to hide his disappointment. He had suspected that she would be returning to Westchester but it did not make it any easier to be confronted with this truth. Amelia looked as if she was waiting for Johnny to reply to her, but what was there that he could say if she had already made her mind up. Asking her to stay would only make things awkward between them in the future and he didn't want that.

At that moment there was a knock on the door. They exchanged looks before Johnny reluctantly got up to answer it with Brandon still in his arms, wondering if Mel had turned up early. He was unpleasantly surprised to find Bam standing there looking calm and collected.

"Knoxville." Bam greeted him, pulling off his shades and smiling at his son.

"Bam." Johnny acknowledged and passed Brandon over to Bam. "You better come in."

Bam hoisted his son up onto his hip and followed Johnny inside and into the living room. The look of horror on Amelia's face suggested that she too was suitably surprised by Bam's appearance.

"Bam..." she hesitated as he strode into the room and took a seat beside his wife on the sofa. "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to bring you home." He said with no hint of anger or annoyance in his voice. There was no discussion, no apology, just a simple statement. He sat Brandon to the side and took Amelia's hands in his. Johnny reasoned that Bam seemed to be in a much better mood than he could have been considering the situation. As far as Johnny knew, Bam had no reason to suspect that there was anything going on between him and Amelia, but the idea that his wife had been staying with another man was enough to make any husband upset. He wondered how Bam had found out her whereabouts.

"I..." she hesitated, glancing over at Johnny as if for his help.

Johnny looked sadly at Amelia and shrugged his shoulders. There were a million things he wanted to say to her but he had missed his chance. He didn't want to makes things more difficult for her now that Bam was here.

"Come on Amelia, let's go home. I've got the tickets." Bam said surprisingly gently. Whatever else was on his mind, he obviously did not want to say in front of Johnny.

She continued to stare at Johnny helplessly but he was not sure what she was waiting for. Hadn't she already made her decision to return?

"I'll get my bags." She sighed eventually, dropping her gaze to the floor as she stood up.

Although it pained him to see her cave in to Bam so easily, Johnny knew that what she was doing was probably for the best. He sat and watched quietly as Amelia went upstairs to fetch her belongings and Bam went to put Brandon in the car. In a matter of minutes she was all packed up and ready to leave. Johnny stood in the doorway and watched her walk out of his life once again.

"Bye Johnny." She whispered as she walked past. She was gone just as quickly and unexpectedly as she had arrived.

"Bye." He stared after her, realising he was soon going to regret keeping his mouth shut.

"Dad, mom's here!"

Johnny raised his head from the couch, acknowledging his daughter. Since Amelia's departure a few hours ago, Johnny had sunk into a state of denial over his feelings and everything that had happened that week. After all, there was no point in dwelling on missed opportunities and that was exactly what had happened. He had missed his chance to ask her to stay and even though Bam had interrupted their talk, he was sure her mind was probably set on returning. However, he could not shake the image of the look of desperation on Amelia's face.

He did not move from his sprawled out position on the sofa as Madison looked at him pointedly. "Aren't you going to at least come and say 'hi'?" she put her hands on her hips. Johnny shrugged, unable to think of a reason why Mel would be offended if she didn't see her ex husband's face.

"Ugh, fiiine." She sighed dramatically and made a point of dragging her bags towards the front door.

Johnny was trying to find the energy to get up and say goodbye to his daughter but before he could get to his feet, a tall, slim figure had appeared in the room. "Happy new year." Mel smiled amiably, taking off her shades as she made her way across the room to hug him.

Johnny sat up and embraced his ex wife, burying his face into her blonde hair. The smell of her perfume always brought back memories of their time together but it felt like a lifetime ago now. "Hi Mel." He said, as convincingly happy as he could.

"Where's Amelia?" she asked, not waiting for an invitation to sit down and cross her long legs.

"Huh?" Johnny frowned and moved across to make room for her, wondering how she knew so much all of a sudden.

"Oh come on PJ, did you really not expect Madison to keep me up to date this week." Mel laughed gently, rubbing his arm with an exquisitely manicured hand. "I still care about you. Am I not allowed to want you to be happy?"

Johnny shrugged slightly, there was no point trying to hide anything from Mel. She could see right through him. "Amelia's gone." he said bluntly.

Mel's gaze softened and she kept her hand on Johnny's arm. "You let her go didn't you?"

Johnny nodded silently, surprised at how comforting her voice sounded. "There was nothing I could do. She belongs in Westchester. That's how it's meant to be."

Mel sighed slightly and shook her head. "You need to fight for her Johnny. We never fought for our relationship; don't let that happen with you and Amelia. We need to learn from our past mistakes."

Johnny stared into the eyes of the woman he had once been madly in love with. Despite all their faults as a couple, Mel was really a great person and while he no longer felt anything romantically for her, Johnny was glad to have her as a friend and there would always be a place for her in his heart.

"There never was me and Amelia Mel, it's too late." he sighed.

"It's never too late PJ." Mel said quietly into his ear as she pulled him into another hug.


	30. Chapter 30

**AMELIA**

Amelia sat in silence as Bam drove the three of them back to the airport and try as she might, tears would not stop running down her cheeks. She had intended to return to Westchester, there was no denying it, but in her own time and not under these circumstances. She had not even had chance to talk to Johnny properly yet but apparently he seemed to think it was for the best. He had not tried to stop her from leaving, but what had she expected him to do or say? Bam showing up had been really bad timing.

Bam was talking to her but she blocked the sound of his voice out. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. She was so angry with Bam for turning up like this but she was also glad that he apparently did care.

Eventually she tuned back in to what Bam was saying. "So. You and Knoxville?" Bam glanced sideways at her.

Amelia returned the glance and wrapped her arms around Brandon more tightly. "What about me and Knoxville?"

"You seemed very cosy." Bam said bitterly and Amelia bit her lip in a mixture of anger, resentment and sadness. Her feelings were beginning to overwhelm her.

"He's a good friend and he gave me a place to stay when I needed one." Amelia told him truthfully as she wiped her eyes, trying to hide the fact that she was already starting to miss Johnny.

Bam raised an eyebrow disbelievingly but turned his attention back to the road. "What was wrong with your friends in Westchester?"

"They're all your friends too Bam. I went to LA to get away from you." She reminded him calmly. If she had gone to stay with anyone in Westchester Bam would have been sure to find out where she was immediately.

"But why? Don't you think it was a bit drastic to go to the other side of the country just because he had a disagreement?"

"A disagreement?" she repeated incredulously. Was he really that ignorant? Bam ignored her comment, answering her thoughts for her. "I needed to get as far away from you as I could." She shrugged, wishing he would stop asking so many questions.

"Then why not England?" He asked, playing along.

"Better weather in LA." She remarked and remembered saying exactly the same thing to Johnny earlier in the week.

"Ok, but why Knoxville? Why not Tremaine, or Steve-O?"

Amelia hesitated. She did not want to be having this conversation. She might not have been lying to Bam but she was not exactly telling him the full story. She shrugged again. "He was the first name in my phone book."

"Yeah right." Bam shook his head and paused. "If you've been with Knoxville behind my back, I will find out." He warned.

Amelia did not like the threatening tone to his voice and she tried her best to feign ignorance. "Why can't you accept the fact that Johnny and I are just friends?" she asked, sighing loudly.

"Because he's a guy." Bam replied bluntly, not taking his eyes from the road.

"Not all guys are like you." She muttered under her breath, glad that he had not heard.

"Amelia?"

"Don't try and pass all this on to Johnny. He's done nothing wrong. You were the one who made me leave and he was there to pick up the pieces." Saying this out loud made her feel incredibly guilty for walking away from Johnny like she had done. Without him, she did not know what she would have done that past week. He had been amazing and he deserved an explanation for her desire to leave. She wished she had been given chance to talk to him properly before Bam had arrived but there was little she could do about it now.

"I don't believe you." Bam said.

"Well that's your problem." Amelia sighed and rested her head against the car window. She did not have the energy or inclination to argue with him. Ok, so she might have kissed Johnny and shared a bed with him but really she had done nothing wrong. It wasn't as if they had been carrying on behind Bam's back. Amelia resolved to maintain her innocence no matter what Bam said or accused her of and she was incredibly glad when he finally stopped talking.

By the time they arrived back in Westchester in was the next morning. Amelia and Brandon had slept for the entire flight and car journey back to Castle Bam, most of which was in attempt to avoid conversation with Bam. She was still angry with him and needed time to clear her head. She was also worried that if he pressed on about Johnny anymore she would either start crying or get angry and risk being found out.

The familiar sight of Castle Bam loomed in the horizon and Amelia felt her heart sink as the reality of being home sunk in. Because that's what Castle Bam was, home. Johnny's house had simply been a temporary escape and now she had to return to her everyday life. April and Phil were the first to greet them as Amelia walked through the front door with Brandon in her arms. April fussed over them but nothing was said about where she had been and why, they were just happy to have her back now. She couldn't deny that she was happy to see April and Phil too. She loved them dearly, which made any future without Bam so difficult to imagine.

The house seemed quiet, with only Novak and Raab anywhere to be seen. Amelia had been looking forward to seeing her sister but according to Novak, Ryan and Rose had gone on a little trip of their own and he didn't know where. It seemed her plan to seek comfort with Rose had fallen at the first obstacle so resignedly she made her way to the bedroom and collapsed on to the bed. She glanced at the photo of her, Bam and Brandon and tried not to think about anything at all. With so many thoughts racing through her mind it was difficult. Within minutes it seemed that the walls were closing in on her. This room was far too familiar and held so many memories that it was stifling. She had to get out.

She returned downstairs and was less than relieved to see that the house had immediately filled with people she did not recognise. Apparently the production team had turned up to discuss the next series and it was a painful reminder that Bam did not want her involved so Amelia left Brandon with April and drove to the lake. She couldn't face the claustrophobic crowdedness of Castle Bam. She had still not figured what she was going to do concerning the show. She was preparing to talk to Bam seriously to gage whether or not there was any way of her still being involved. She didn't know what she would do if he was still adamant on cutting her out.

It was a bitterly cold winter's day in Westchester and Amelia immediately wished she was back in sunny LA as she zipped her jacket further up and pulled her hat down over her ears to keep out the wind. Only yesterday she had been strolling on the beach with Brandon and Madison and now that whole world she had created for herself in LA had crumbled down and she had woken up to reality. She fumbled through her coat pocket, only to produce an empty packet of cigarettes and a lighter that did not work. It was just her luck, she thought.

After a while of indulging in her own misery she heard the sound of approaching tyres on gravel. She inhaled sharply as she knew that the guys were the only people that tended to hang around here. She turned around nervously and was relieved not to see the Hummer or the Lambo, but Dico's four wheeler. She relaxed a little as the four wheeler pulled up next to her own car and the familiar figure of Dico appeared from the vehicle.

"What's up Meels." Dico waved as he made his way over to her and sat beside her on the grass. "Nice to see you back!"

"Hey Dico. Happy new year! I've missed you." She smiled and hugged her friend tightly.

"I missed you too! It's not the same without you around. Where you been?" he asked, smiling at her happily.

Amelia's stomach churned nervously but she was not sure why. "LA." She replied quietly, watching his face intently to gage his reaction.

Dico nodded knowingly. "Don't worry. I'm not going to be all annoying and stick my nose in, asking questions."

"Thanks Dico." She breathed relieved. "What brings you here though?"

"I heard you were back but I couldn't find you in the castle so I assumed you'd be here." He explained.

"I just needed a bit of space to clear my head." She smiled as convincingly as she could. Dico had been there on Christmas day so he obviously knew about Bam wanting to leave her out of the show, but she didn't feel like talking about it right now.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." Dico passed her a cigarette. "It's pretty hectic in there."

Amelia nodded silently as she lit it, hoping he would change the subject from what was going on back at home.

"Oh there was another reason why I was looking for you. Ryan told me where they were going. Apparently they consider me trust worthy. I don't know why." Dico grinned.

Amelia smiled softly, waiting for Dico to continue. "They went to find you in LA. Bam overheard them talking and they wanted to warn you."

Amelia surprised herself by laughing out loud. "That is so typical of them. They let it slip where I am and then try to make amends by coming all the way to tell me, but they can't even do that right." She realised she had better ring Rose to let her know they were home safe. She wondered if they'd arrived at Johnny's yet.


	31. Chapter 31

**RYAN & ROSE**

Ryan and Rose pulled up outside Johnny's house, just as a blonde woman walked out of the front door, followed by Madison and Johnny. Their flight had landed less than half an hour ago and they had made their way straight to Johnny's house, hoping to see Amelia before it was too late. Rose had tried to ring Amelia to let her know that they were coming but her phone kept going straight to answer phone.

"Who's that?" Rose asked, staring at the blonde woman curiously as they waited in the car until Johnny's guests had left.

"His ex wife, Mel." Ryan explained which seemed to satisfy Rose. "Do you think Amelia's still here?"

Rose shrugged slightly and glanced at the house. "I hope so. It's going to be one hell of a wasted trip if we've missed her." She wondered how they would explain their presence to Johnny if they had missed her. It would be awkward to say the least.

Ryan nodded in agreement. "So how are we gonna approach this?" Ryan turned to look at his girlfriend, hoping she had some grand plan. They had both already acknowledged the fact that they had rushed into the trip to LA. The phone call from Terri was not proof that Bam had actually cheated on Amelia, even if it was highly suspicious.

Once again Rose shrugged. "I really don't know. 'Hey Amelia, we think your husband's cheating on you'?"

Ryan shook his head and lit a cigarette as they waited for Johnny, Madison and Mel to say their goodbyes. "Do you think anything happened?"

Rose returned her gaze to Ryan. "What do you mean?" she frowned.

"Between Amelia and Johnny." Ryan reminded her, exhaling a smoke ring.

"Oh. I don't know" Rose sighed. "I know Amelia and she would never go behind Bam's back but that doesn't mean they haven't talked about their feelings and stuff." Rose trailed off, fixing her hair in the mirror.

"Would she leave Bam for Johnny?" Ryan asked, trying not to think what it would mean for the relationship between the guys should Amelia leave Bam for any reason.

"I have no idea. I didn't even know she felt this way until the other day. Maybe it's just a temporary thing." Rose said before she took a drag from his cigarette.

Ryan shook his head. "No. I always knew she felt something for him. It was so obvious whenever they were together. Bam must have picked up on it too. He used to get so jealous."

Rose sighed. "This feels like such a mess. I wish I could make everything right for her."

Once the jeep had pulled off and passed them on the drive, Ryan swung his door open and started walking to the house. Rose grabbed her handbag and hurried to keep up with him and they caught Johnny before he shut the door. Suffice to say he was more than a little surprised to see them.

"What are you guys doing here?" he asked, looking at each of them with a puzzled expression. His eyes looked puffy and if Ryan didn't know his friend better he would have thought he had been crying.

"We came to see Amelia...and you." Rose added laughing a little and not wanting to seem rude. She too had noticed his eyes and it troubled her.

"Well you just missed her. Bam's been and gone." Johnny told them bluntly, turning his back on them and walking back into the house.

"What?" Ryan exclaimed as he and Rose followed Johnny inside.

Realising he was not going to be able to shake off these visitors; Johnny led them to the living room and resumed his position on the sofa, complete with a bottle of beer. "They left a couple of hours ago. You guys have really bad timing."

"So she just left with him? Did he apologise or explain himself?" Rose asked, frowning.

Johnny took a swig of beer and shook his head. "She just left. She said she was going to go back anyway." He shrugged carelessly. Rose frowned. Why had Amelia not told her of her plans?

"What's going on between you and Amelia?" Ryan asked, narrowing his eyes at Johnny.

"Absolutely nothing." Johnny replied truthfully, despite how much he wished for the opposite.

Rose and Ryan exchanged glances. "But she came all the way over here to see you." Rose scratched her head. She wanted to ask if Amelia had told him how she felt but she thought she had better not put her foot in matters. Despite the blank look on Johnny's face, the emptiness in his eyes told her that everything Ryan had said on New Year's Eve had been true. Even if he wouldn't admit it or show it, the guy was clearly cut up about Amelia leaving and it made Rose feel sick to think that Amelia had gone back with Bam so easily.

"And now she's gone home with her husband." Johnny said with a bitter edge to his voice. "Are you two gonna explain why you're really here?" He couldn't shake the feeling that they had some ulterior motive. Ryan had never turned up unexpected in his life.

Rose sighed and ran a hand through her hair in the same way Johnny had seen Amelia do hundreds of times when she was frustrated. "Well, we came to warn her that Bam might be on his way but that didn't exactly go to plan." She looked hopelessly at Ryan for reassurance. "And we think Bam might have hooked up with one of his old girlfriends."

Johnny turned to look at them, showing the most emotion since they had arrived. "What?"

Ryan explained the phone call from Terri and the implications regarding Bam's history. Johnny swore under his breath. "That little bastard." The anger in his voice did not change the emotionless expression on Johnny's face.

"We wanted to confront Amelia with the truth face to face." Ryan added. "It's not going to be easy for her to hear something like this."

Johnny did not say anything and Ryan and Rose exchanged worried glances. This was not how they had expected him to react. "I know how you feel her about her dude." Ryan reminded him, as if prompting him to say or do something. But however Johnny felt about the situation, he did not let it show. Perhaps she was wrong and he did not really have romantic feelings for Amelia, or perhaps they had had an argument, Rose wondered.

After an awkward few minutes of silence, Johnny sighed loudly. "Look you two, I don't know what Bam's done or anything that's been going on in Westchester but Amelia just came to stay with me for a few days to get some space and now she's gone back home with her husband. If he really has been cheating on her then I will be here for her as ever but until she needs or wants my help I'm staying the hell out of this all."

Johnny was not prepared to spill his heart out to Bam's best friend and Amelia's sister. Mel had only just given him a lecture on how he should go after Amelia, and while he appreciated the sentiment, he wanted some time alone to dwell on his thoughts and work out where his life would go from here.

Ryan and Rose sat awkwardly, not knowing what to do or say next. They understood Johnny's feelings but where did that leave them?


	32. Chapter 32

**AMELIA**

Amelia had not spoken to Johnny since she had arrived home. She was worried that he hadn't really meant all the things he had said to her on New Year's Eve. If he had, why did he let her walk away with Bam? She had hardly spoken to Bam either for that matter. It seemed that now he had reclaimed what was his, he was happy to carry on in a world of his own, completely ignorant to the fact that he had a wife and son. The show was looming closer and closer. Amelia had tried talking to Bam on several occasions about her role but he had shaken her off, making her increasingly frustrated and upset. Had she really thought that coming back home would change anything? So much for trying to do the right thing, she thought. The Bam who had made a brief appearance before Christmas was long gone.

This view was further cemented when an unfamiliar woman appeared in the castle. Her presence was clearly related to a production meeting that was taking place that afternoon and it became obvious that this woman was going to be Amelia's replacement. She couldn't help but feel that it was more than a coincidence that her replacement happened to be female, in particular, a very tall, blonde and busty female. Amelia watched with a mild curiosity as Bam introduced himself and flirted with the new camerawoman who was giggling loudly. He was a smooth talker that was for sure and she was painfully reminded of the Jackass takeover.

Amelia continued to watch the scene unfolding before her and she realised that she could quite easily be watching a rerun of what had happened to her when she first appeared at Castle Bam. In this circumstance the newcomer was Amelia while she herself was playing Jenn and this realisation resulted in a wave of anger sweeping over her. Amelia was relieved when Ryan and Rose returned to Westchester that afternoon and little was said about their trip until Amelia pounced on her younger sister in the kitchen.

"Where have you been?" she demanded, trying to disguise how relieved she was to see her sister.

"It's nice to see you too sis." Rose joked, pulling Amelia into a hug. "I could ask you the same thing. I thought you were in LA!"

"Long story." Amelia sighed and pulled away from her sister. "Let's go upstairs." She suggested, meaningfully. Rose nodded understandingly; deciding now was not a good time to ask about the blonde woman in the other room and followed Amelia through the house until they came to Amelia and Bam's bedroom.

Rose plonked herself down on the bed and folded her arms, prompting Amelia to explain herself as she took a seat beside her. Amelia was not sure where she should start so she ended up repeating their phone conversation and told Rose everything; right up until Bam had made his appearance in LA. As she said the words out loud she started to realise how ridiculous the situation was. How had things become so messed up?

"I'm so confused right now. I don't know if I still love Bam, or if I ever really loved him. I mean, how can you love someone you don't really know? I should have seen the signs when we first got together; his terrible mood swings and jealously. He's a different person and I hate it. I've fucked up majorly and Brandon's at the centre of it all. What can I do? I don't know if I can see a future for me and Bam but what would that to do Brandon? "

Rose sat in silence, nodding in all the right places until Amelia was finished and tears were rolling quietly down her cheeks. "I feel awful for leaving Johnny like that." Amelia said finally. "But I had to come back and he didn't try to stop me."

Rose put her hand on Amelia's shoulder sympathetically, wishing she could say something to make her feel better, rather than reveal the information that was sure to leave her feeling worse. "You did the right thing." She told Amelia, although she was not really sure which point she was agreeing with.

"Did he seem ok to you? Did he say anything?" Amelia asked Rose anxiously, referring to Johnny. She hoped that she had not upset him. There were so many things she needed to say to him. She needed to tell him again how much she loved him, just so there was no doubt in his mind. The urge to speak to him, to see him, to touch him was overwhelming and she felt so powerless. What she had once experienced as guilt over betraying Bam had now turned to regret. She had missed her chance with Johnny. It was too late now.

Rose looked down. "No." She said gently. What else could she say? Johnny had been doing his best to persuade her and Ryan that he was not bothered. Even if this was not really the case, he had done nothing to convince them otherwise. Rose took a deep breath. "Amelia, there's something I need to tell you."

Amelia looked at her sister worriedly. "What do you mean?" She was not sure she wanted to know. From the tone of Rose's voice, whatever it was could not be good. Perhaps Johnny had said something after all. Maybe he never wanted to see her again. Maybe he had never really been in love with her and he had just said all those things on New Year's Eve as a result of too many glasses of wine. Amelia found herself picking at the skin around her nails nervously, wishing Rose would hurry up and spit it out, whatever she had to tell her.

"We didn't just go to LA to warn you about Bam." Rose bit her lip and watched for the change in Amelia's expression. Amelia tilted her head in confusion and Rose started to tell Amelia about Terri. It was Amelia's turn to sit in silence and take in everything that her sister was saying.

"So we thought you should know, if there's the slightest chance that he's been up to anything. Are you ok Amelia?"

Amelia remained in her position on the bed, breathing steadily and looking perfectly calm. She nodded, surprising herself. "Yeah. I am actually." It was almost as if deep down she had been expecting to hear something like this, sooner or later. Now, finally confronted with the matter, she was dealing with the possibility of her husband's infidelity much better than she ever could have hoped to.

Rose frowned, taken by surprise at Amelia's remarkably calm demeanour. "What are you going to do?" she asked tentatively, wondering if this was simply the calm before the storm.

Amelia hesitated. "I think it's time we did a little filming of our own."

Amelia's plan was a simple one. To catch Bam in the act so to speak, be it with this Terri or indeed the new camera woman. She was not fussed. Rose was concerned that she was not facing the truth and possibly suffering from shock or denial by keeping her emotions bottled up rather than letting them out through the usual release of anger. Perhaps this was the truth but Amelia was more concerned with finding out the truth before she made any more hasty decisions. She had no idea what she would do if it turned out that he was indeed cheating on her, she would deal with the issue if and when it arose.


	33. Chapter 33

**JOHNNY**

Amelia was gone and Johnny was getting used to the return to normality. It felt as if a part of him was missing, as if a huge piece of his heart had been ripped out, but he was beginning to accept that the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach would remain with him for a long time. That would teach him for getting carried away and imagining that there could ever be a future for him and Amelia. She was married to Bam and that was the end of it. The fact that he had heard nothing from his friends in Westchester suggested that Bam had not actually cheated on Amelia and that Ryan and Rose had got a little carried away. There was no point in losing sleep about it.

In an attempt at distraction, Johnny immersed himself in work and when he was not in the offices annoying Jeff, he was attending as many casting calls and auditions as he could fit into his day. He had never pushed so hard for a part in his life, but the hard work was paying off and Johnny had finally landed himself the leading role in a new film that was due to start filming very soon. Even more exciting was the fact that he would be returning to his home state of Tennessee for the majority of the filming. He had a feeling that this was exactly what he needed to take his mind off everything that had happened recently.

He wanted to ring Amelia and tell her the good news but soon realised that this would be defeating the point. They both needed some space in order to get their heads back to normal, so he resisted the temptation to get in touch and instead, only told Jeff about his upcoming adventures. Until filming started, Johnny continued to spend the majority of his waking time at the Dickhouse offices.

"PJ. I'm beginning to get sick of the sight of you." Jeff shook his head when he walked into the Dickhouse building early one morning and found Johnny already hard at work in their shared office.

"Nice to see you too Jeff." Jonny laughed, looking up from his laptop screen only briefly.

"Did you even go home last night?" Jeff wondered aloud, sinking down into his chair opposite Johnny.

Johnny shrugged and grinned, telling Jeff all he needed to know, but he could not really argue with Johnny. At least he was spending his time productively rather than moping around the house. He also seemed to be in much better spirits than he had been in a while. How much of this was down to his talent for acting, Jeff was not sure but he decided the best thing he could do was to let Johnny get on with it.

After a few hours of messing around with the others and generally not getting much work done, Johnny and Jeff both received worrying emails from Steve-O. Over the past months Steve's drinking and drug habit had been rapidly spiralling out of control. His desire to be the centre of attention was taking over his life and his email rants were becoming darker and more disturbing.

"Something needs to be done." Johnny sighed finally after rereading the latest email for the third time. He ran a hand through his greying hair. He was really worrying about his friend's safety and there was a high potential that Steve might really hurt himself.

Jeff nodded in agreement. "But what? The guy's a loose cannon."

They had discussed the possibility of getting Steve into rehab a few months ago, but they knew there was no way that he would go of his own accord. "We'll have to use force." Johnny reasoned, referring to their plan of getting him to rehab. "I'll get in touch with Dimitry and the others. We're gonna need some help."

"I'll ring his family." Jeff added.

Several phone calls were made and before they knew it, Johnny and Jeff had instigated their plan to pounce on the unsuspecting Steve in his apartment later in a few days time, just before Johnny flew back to Tennessee. Dimitry, Rick, Cordell the sound guy and Trip were on board but Jeff could not help feeling that someone was missing.

"Do you think we should call Amelia?" he asked Johnny tentatively, not wanting to reopen Johnny's healing wounds.

Johnny shrugged. He knew that Amelia would want to know and should be told, but he did not want to be the one to do it. If she was prepared to fly back to LA to see Steve, Johnny didn't want her intentions to be tainted by the fact that it was he who had called her. Reading his mind, Jeff picked the phone back up and Johnny tried to ignore his anxiety as he listened to Jeff fill Amelia in on the situation.

"She's coming." Jeff announced finally, returning the phone to its position on the desk and leaning back in his chair. Johnny nodded casually but his poker face was not fooling Jeff at all. He knew full well that seeing Amelia again so soon was not going to help his friend, especially if Bam flew out with her, but they had to focus on the issue at hand: Steve. And when all was said and done, Johnny would be on his plane home the day after their intervention so there would be no time for feelings to get involved.

Johnny was thinking the same thing as Jeff. He would only have to see her for one day; two at the most and then he would be jetting off to shoot his new film. Amelia was not coming to see him so there was no point in making the situation awkward. They needed to be united in their support for Steve and then they could go back to their separate lives.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Once again I have to give a shout out to <em>TheFreakMagnet_ and _TryDefyingGravity322_ for your constant support and reviews :) Thank you soooo much! Also, thanks to everyone who has subscribed and/or favourited this story. It means a lot to know that people are reading this and enjoying it! I'd really appreciate any comments you might have :)_**


	34. Chapter 34

**AMELIA**

"Are you sure you're ok Amelia?" Rose asked her sister for the umpteenth time. "I'll stay longer if you want me to."

"I'm fine." Amelia insisted, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel as she navigated through the streets of Westchester. "And don't be silly. Your final exams are coming up, you can't afford to miss uni."

Rose shrugged, knowing that Amelia was right but it didn't change the fact that she was worried. Ever since she had told Amelia about Bam possibly cheating on her, her sister had seemed more positive, stronger and happier than she had in a while and quite frankly it was weird.

Amelia understood her sister was only looking out for her, but she wished she would stop fussing. She had shed too many tears over Bam in the past and she was not prepared to let him upset her again. Over the past few weeks since returning to Westchester, Bam had almost completely ignored her, staying out all night and drinking constantly. Amelia was now fairly sure that she was going to leave Bam and she was focused solely on obtaining evidence of his infidelity so that she could make a clean escape when the time came. There would be no room for explanation or apologies. So far their attempts at surveillance had proved unsuccessful. There was no easy way of tailing Bam without it being too obvious, and quite frankly Amelia did not have the energy to chase around after him. She could only hope that Ryan would find out more and that he would tell her whatever he knew.

They soon arrived at the airport and Amelia helped Rose unload her bags from the back of the car before taking Brandon out of his car seat and heading to the terminal. Ryan had wanted to drive Rose to the airport but she had insisted on going alone with Amelia so that they had longer to talk.

"Ring me as soon as anything happens." Rose demanded, kissing Brandon on the cheek.

"Of course." Amelia grinned. They hugged tightly before Rose had to make her way through security and Amelia reluctantly returned to Castle Bam. For the while journey back she couldn't stop wishing that she had jumped on the plane back to England with Rose but she had to keep reminding herself that she needed to settle things in Westchester once and for all, one way or another.

Amelia had a plan in mind but it would require all of her stealth and cunning to pull off. She needed to talk to the woman who knew Bam for exactly what he was, and that woman was Jenn. The prospect of talking to Bam's ex was not an entirely welcoming one after their last encounter over two years ago, but this time they were on the same side and if Amelia was going to build a substantial case against Bam she needed to do it properly. There could be no doubt in anyone's mind that Bam was in the wrong. Although divorce had not entered her mind, she was still aware that if she was to move away from Westchester for a fresh start there would be an issue of custardy of Brandon and she was not prepared to risk losing her son.

Ryan hated Jenn so it was no good asking him for help. Instead, that afternoon she turned to Raab who she knew could be coerced into nearly anything. As luck would have it he knew exactly where Jenn was living now and it was only about an hour's drive from Westchester.

To say that Jenn was surprised to see Amelia would be an understatement. Despite the implications of her visit, Amelia struggled to suppress a laugh at the expression on Jenn's face. She smiled as politely as she could.

"Hi Jenn."

"Hi..."Jenn hesitated, looking from Amelia to the little boy in her arms and immediately recognising him as Bam's son. "You better come in."

Amelia followed Jenn tentatively into her house, surprised at how courteous she was being. Jenn showed her into the living room and sat down on the sofa opposite her, crossing her legs and looking expectant.

"I'm sorry to show up out of the blue like this. I'm assuming you remember me." Amelia said quietly.

Jenn nodded silently, pursing her lips. Amelia took a deep breath and continued. "I was hoping we could put the past behind us. I'm in a mess and I need your help."

Jenn raised a perfectly sculptured eyebrow. "You need my help?"

Amelia nodded her head slightly and started to explain her situation to Jenn as best she could. She noticed Jenn's piercing glare begin to soften when she realised that Bam was treating Amelia exactly the same way he had her.

"Bam never loved me, I realise that now." Jenn said thoughtfully when Amelia had finished. "I don't think he's capable of loving anyone but himself. He likes to have someone around that he can call his own, but he soon grows bored and when the next model turns up that's it..."

Amelia nodded, reflecting on Jenn's analysis of Bam. She was spot on. "He doesn't want me, but he doesn't want anyone else to have me." She sighed, brushing her hair out of her eyes.

"Until he finds another woman." Jenn added. "I feel sorry for you hun, I had a lucky escape. We were engaged you know, but I called it off when I found out he'd been cheating on me. But you've gone the whole way and married him and..." she glanced at Brandon.

"I'm an idiot aren't I?" Amelia sighed hopelessly.

Jenn shook her head. "No you're not. Bam's a con man and you fell for his charm. Admittedly I was jealous when you first showed up. I was in love with the guy, but you're a lovely girl and we were both tricked into offering him our hearts on a plate."

Amelia listened carefully and realised that she owed Jenn an apology now that she had seen the real Bam. "I'm really sorry Jenn, I..."

"Don't be." Jenn put her hand up and interrupted her. "If anything, you did me a favour. Sure, I miss the guys but, well, Ryan's always hated me anyway."

Amelia frowned, prompting Jenn to explain herself.

"I'm not exactly innocent in all of this. Once I found out Bam had been cheating on me I went behind his back too, out of anger and jealously, but Ryan couldn't accept the fact that Bam was cheating on me first. He thought I'd ruined the relationship and that everything from then on, including Bam sleeping with Terri, was my fault."

Amelia was surprised that Ryan could have been so blind concerning his friend.

"So how can I help you?" Jenn brought Amelia back to the present day with her question and Amelia bit her lip. She proceeded to explain to Jenn how she needed proof that Bam was seeing another woman.

"I had my suspicions to being with." Jenn told her. "He was staying out all night, ignoring and avoiding me, drinking a lot. In the end he messed up and ran into her when we were all in a club. I caught them in the toilets ..."

"So what should I do?" Amelia asked Jenn. The chances of him making the same mistake twice were probably quite slim.

"I know you probably want to get out of this shit pretty quickly, but the best thing you can do is be patient. He will slip up eventually, I can guarantee it and everyone will be around to see it. The worst thing you can do is leave now because he will turn it around on you like he did to me. You'll be made out to be the bad person and no matter how much you think the guys are your friends, Bam is a force to be reckoned with and they'll sooner side with him just for an easy life."

Amelia nodded sadly. Jenn was right. A few hours later, once the two women had called a truce, exchanged numbers and were united in their contempt for Bam, Amelia drove back to Castle Bam, feeling anxious and wanting to avoid her husband at all costs. Once Brandon was safely occupied with Dico, she hurried straight up to the bedroom and shut the door behind her, trying to catch her breath and gather her thoughts on everything she had just learnt. Before she could calm down however, her phone began to ring. Amelia was surprised to see Jeff's name flash up on her caller ID. "Jeff?"

"Hi Amelia, sorry to ring you out of the blue like this but I thought you should know what we're going ahead with Steve's intervention in a couple of days. Things have gotten completely out of control and he's a danger to himself. PJ, myself, Rick, Trip, Dimitry and Cordell are going to go round to his and take him, but we could use a calming influence like you around."

Amelia had to sit down on the bed as the news hit her like a ton of bricks. She had not realised how serious Steve's problem had become recently as she had been too wrapped up in her own troubles. Feeling awful for neglecting her friend who had been there in her own time of need, she told Jeff in no uncertain terms that she would be there.

The morning of her flight, Amelia ensured she had packed her overnight bag and everything was in order before tackling Bam. She had no idea if he would want to go and see Steve, but however he felt it would not change her decision. She had already phoned April to make sure that it would be ok for her and Phil to look after Brandon for a few days.

Amelia picked Brandon up and made her way downstairs nervously, although she was not sure why her heart was pounding so fiercely, perhaps it was because this would be the first time she had spoken to Bam in at least a week. Bam was sitting in the living room, playing computer games with Raab and Dico.

"Bam. Jeff rang the other day to say that they're going ahead with Steve-O's intervention tomorrow. I'm flying out this afternoon. Are you coming?"

Bam remained silent for a few moments and Amelia was not sure if he heard her correctly until he put his controller down.

"Don't make me laugh Amelia. You and I both know that the only reason you want to go back to LA is for Knoxville." Bam didn't even turn around to look at her.

Amelia raised her eyebrows in disbelief. "This has absolutely nothing to do with Johnny. I'm worried about our friend." She said calmly and bluntly. "Maybe if you cared about anyone other than yourself you would understand."

"Yeah right. There's no point trying to deny it." Bam started to get up from the sofa. "I know you've been cheating on me with him."

"You're deluded Bam and, that's a bit rich coming from you isn't it?" Amelia quipped, unable to contain her anger as Bam approached her.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Bam frowned, clearly clueless that Amelia was on to him.

Brandon started to cry as Amelia and Bam's voices rose. She hadn't noticed Dico and Raab get up but she was grateful that Dico was now standing within reaching distance for her to pass Brandon over to him. Once Brandon was safely in his arms, Dico was quick to make his way out of the living room.

"Nothing." She shook her head. This was not the time or place to bring it up. She widened her eyes as he moved closer towards her, his own eyes sparkling with anger.

"You're full of bullshit Amelia. I know you're just going to run off to Knoxville. I'm surprised you haven't already."

"Drop it Bam. I only came to ask if you wanted to go with me and now I can see that you don't so I'm sorry for bothering you."

Bam grabbed hold of her arm tightly and Amelia fought off tears. "Stop lying to me Amelia. You're just trying to cover your back for your little trip to see Knoxville, you whore." He growled, backing her against the wall. Amelia tried to ignore the pain of his hand gripping her arm and rather than let him see that he was getting to her, she stared defiantly at him, waiting to see what he would do next. Would he really hit her? Part of her almost willed him to do it so that she could use it as a reason to leave him once and for all.

All of a sudden Ryan appeared and in one swift movement he punched Bam square in the face, causing him to fall back and drop Amelia's arm. She instantly jumped to the side, out of Bam's firing line and watched as a thoroughly shocked Bam brought his hands to his nose, which was now pouring with blood. The look on Ryan's face was murderous and it scared Amelia.

"Go." Ryan said forcefully, wondering what she was waiting for. Amelia took one last look at Bam and nodded before turning towards the door.

"If you leave now, don't bother coming back." Bam shouted after her, still holding his bleeding nose.


	35. Chapter 35

**RYAN**

"What the fuck is going on?" Ryan demanded of Bam once he heard the sound of tires on gravel announce the fact that Amelia was safely out of the way. It was lucky he had walked in when he did.

Bam wiped his bloody nose with his sleeve and shrugged pathetically. "It's nothing."

"Yeah, it sure looked like nothing." Ryan spat sarcastically, looking at his friend in disgust. "I don't know what the fuck has gotten into you dude."

"It's none of your business." Bam turned and started to walk away but Ryan grabbed his shoulder aggressively.

"I'm not gonna stand by and watch you push Amelia around like that." Ryan growled. "She deserves to be treated a hell of a lot better."

"I know she's cheating on me." Bam said simply, shaking himself out of Ryan's grip. "It's fucking obvious how into Knoxville she is."

Ryan ignored this comment. "You're an idiot. Can't you see that you're pushing her straight into his arms by acting like a complete ass?"

"I don't need to push her. She's always preferred him to me." Bam said bitterly. "Right from the day they first met."

"You're blind as well as stupid if you think that and if you can't see how much she loves you, or rather _loved _you." Ryan shook his head, unable to believe what he was hearing from his best friend. "I don't think you really want to be with her do you? Do you even love her?"

Bam's silence told Ryan all he needed to know and the two men stared hard at one another, waiting for the other to back down. "Maybe you should never have bothered going back to her when she was pregnant. The way you're treating her now, she would have been better off if Johnny had taken her back to LA." Ryan told him truthfully, remembering the conversation at the motel several years ago. He should have seen it then. Bam was not husband or father material. Perhaps Ryan should have pushed Johnny to go ahead with his threat.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Bam shrugged apathetically and made his way over to the sofa, realising he was not going to be able to escape Ryan for the time being.

"What? Is that what you really would have wanted?" Ryan asked in disbelief, following Bam to the sofa. "To have another man raising your son?" He knew his friend was a dick at the best of timed but even he was surprised to hear those words come from Bam's mouth.

"Like you said, she'd be better off with Knoxville." Bam pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and started to light one, regardless of the fact that he was still inside the house. Ryan chose to ignore this as the situation was tense enough without having Bam liken him to April for calling him out on his indoor smoking habit.

"That's the most sense you've made all year, I must have knocked some into you." Ryan sighed, standing over Bam and folding his arms.

"That's the second time you've punched me over Amelia. Are you sure you don't have feelings for her?" Bam narrowed his gaze at Ryan and exhaled a cloud of smoke towards Ryan.

Ryan widened his eyes incredulously. "Bam dude, you're fucking ridiculous. You need to sort yourself out." If Bam didn't watch it he would find Ryan's fist in his face for a third time.

"There's nothing wrong with me." Bam laughed hoarsely, looking at Raab for support. "It's everyone else that needs to chill the fuck out."

Raab remained silent and shrugged at Ryan. He clearly did not want to get involved in any of this and Ryan was not surprised when he quietly stood up and walked towards the kitchen, leaving the two friends to their heated debate.

Ryan waited until the door had closed before continuing. "If you don't love her you need to let her go. It's not gonna be long before she gets proof that you've been cheating on her with Terri and when she does you'll lose her and Brandon for good."

"Who says I've been seeing Terri?" Bam raised his eyebrows, unaware that Ryan and Rose had discovered his secret as long ago as New Year's Eve.

"Drop the act Bam. I've spoken to her. She wouldn't tell me if she'd slept with you again but I don't need to hear the words to know the truth." Ryan said bitterly. Just the idea that Bam had been with Terri again made him feel sick to his stomach. He had not learnt his lesson from Jenn.

Bam did not appear bothered by Ryan's revelation; in fact he was more concerned with getting back into the computer game despite the fact that he no longer had anyone to play with and his attention drifted from Ryan to the television. Ryan could not believe it. "Don't you care dude, or is this just one big joke to you?"

Bam glanced up at him from the television screen. "Don't you see? I've lost her already. There's nothing I can do now. Johnny's welcome to her. I hope they'll be very happy together."

Ryan grimaced, trying not to imagine what effect this situation would have on the relationship between all of the guys, especially if Amelia and Johnny were to get together. It didn't bare thinking about. Suddenly a phone began ringing somewhere in the room. Both Ryan and Bam recognised it as Amelia's ring tone. Apparently she had dropped her phone n the midst of her and Bam's fight. Ryan spotted it on the floor and picked it up, glancing at the caller ID. It was Jeff, probably ringing about her going to see Steve. Well now no one would be able to get in touch with her, Ryan thought to himself. Deciding now was not the time to explain the situation to Jeff; Ryan let it ring until the call switched over to voice mail.

"One hundred bucks says it's Knoxville." Bam declared, seeming smug and pleased with himself.

"I'll take that in cash." Ryan showed the phone to Bam who simply shrugged at Jeff's name.

"I'll write you an 'IOU'."

"I don't want your money asshole." Ryan started to walk off and put his hands up in defeat. "You know what, just do whatever the fuck you want as usual Bam and make sure you don't stop to think about anyone else."

Bam laughed. "That's a good one for you Ryan. Well Amelia can do whatever the fuck she wants but if she tries to take Brandon away from me I will fight her."


	36. Chapter 36

**JOHNNY**

Johnny and Jeff were sitting in Johnny's living room, sharing a pack of beers and contemplating how they would approach the task of Steve's intervention the following day.

According to Jeff, Amelia had rang earlier in the afternoon to say that something had come up and she had missed her flight, which would have brought her to LA just in time to visit Steve the next evening. She had promised that she would be on the next plane to LA but unfortunately this meant she would not arrive in time to help them deal with Steve, whose emails were gradually escalating their concern for him. It had been decided that they could not wait any longer and would go ahead as planned.

Johnny wondered what had come up to delay her. Jeff had said that she sounded a little strange on the phone and that she had lost her phone so she was borrowing one from Brandon Dicamillo. Perhaps something had happened between her and Bam but here was no point dwelling on this, he thought to himself. He would be on a plane to Tennessee by the time she arrived in LA. It was probably for the best that they would not see each other, although he couldn't hide the intense feeling of disappointment. He was still fighting off the desire to pick up his own phone and ring her, just to hear the comforting sound of her voice even if she told him she didn't want anything to do with him. He thought he would perhaps rather know the truth about her feelings for him and put an end to his sleepless nights.

Jeff had picked up on Johnny's disappointment but he didn't know what to say to help his friend. Johnny would soon be in Tennessee and maybe that would change everything. He had been tempted to knock their heads together once Amelia had arrived in LA as he was that frustrated with their apparent blindness but fate had intervened and now who knew how long it would be before they saw each other again. He knew full well that the relationship between Johnny and Amelia would have implications for the future of Jackass but first and foremost they were his friends and their happiness was important to him.

"You alright PJ?" Jeff asked casually, slapping his friend on the shoulder as he went to get another beer.

Johnny simply smiled meaningfully at Jeff. He was glad to have such a good friend.

The time had come and the guys met up at the offices that evening. Johnny, Jeff, Rick and Dimitry rode in Jeff's van while Trip and Cordell followed behind in Trip's car. The plan was to try and talk Steve round so that he would come of his own accord, but failing that Johnny had decided that they would have to use force.

"We'll knock him out and take him if we have to." Johnny laughed as they gathered outside Steve's apartment, but there was a serious look on his face. As he glanced at the crew he had brought with him he knew that they would not have a problem if they found themselves up against Steve. They were all big guys, Johnny being the smallest of the six so Steve would not stand a chance if they had to get physical with him.

Johnny led the way up to Steve's front door. He had not been nominated as the spokesman but it was his plan so the others took a backseat as he knocked confidently on the door. They were all aware that they didn't exactly have any moral high ground when it came to partying habits. Johnny had his moments when he partied as hard as the next guy but Steve was on a whole other level.

"Hey dudes." Steve grinned. His eyes were bloodshot and his hands were shaking. They had obviously interrupted him halfway through one of his drug fuelled binges and he didn't seem to question why this specific assortment of his friends had turned up at his apartment, unannounced and looking deadly serious.

After brief greetings, Steve led them into the kitchen and offered the six of them some beers. Johnny shook his head. "No thanks Steve. We're not here to drink. I'm gonna get straight to the point. We're worried about you."

Steve laughed them off and continued to work his way through the beers himself. "Dude, I'm fine. Come on, let's party!"

Johnny glanced at Jeff for the go ahead. He wished Amelia was here right now, she was a far better mediator than he was and she would probably be able to talk Steve into coming with them in a matter of minutes. Johnny sighed and shook his head. "No Steve. We've come to take you to rehab. The drinking and drugs need to stop, can't you see you're hurting yourself?"

Steve laughed again, not realising how serious they were. "Haha, very funny dudes. I'm not going anywhere. You're the ones with the problems! You all need to lighten up"

Johnny and the others exchanged glances. They hadn't expected this to be easy. "Look at it this way Steve. You're coming with us one way or another. If we have to knock you out and put you in the van we will."

Steve's expression changed from one bursting witch confidence to resembling a deer caught in the headlights as he looked from Johnny to Jeff to Rick to Dimitry to Cordell and finally to Trip. He could see that he was not going to get out of this situation easily and nor was it going to end how he wanted. After ten minutes of desperately trying to convince his friends that he really was ok, he reasoned that it would be far easier just to go quietly now and convince the staff at the rehabilitation centre that he was fine. He was good at pretending to be perfectly sober and he'd be a free man before he knew it.

"Ok." He held his hands up in defeat. "I'll go." Little did he know, Johnny and the guys had come armed with evidence in the form of Steve's emails that would ensure that he was detained for at least forty eight hours.

In the end, Steve left his apartment, accompanied either side by Rick and Trip just in case he tried to run. One of his stipulations had been that he was allowed to bring his video camera that he had recently been attached to night and day. Jeff and Johnny had tried to argue, knowing that it was not healthy for him but Dimitry had insisted he kept it with him. "They'll take it off him when we get there; we just need to keep him happy for the time being." Dimitry had said quietly under his breath to Johnny when Steve was out of earshot.

"So where's everyone else?" Steve laughed from his seat in the back of Jeff's van, sandwiched between Rick and Dimitry. He was surprised that so many people had turned up.

"Amelia was supposed to be here but she got tied up." Jeff replied from the driver's seat. "She'll be here by tomorrow."

Steve nodded thoughtfully. Amelia would help him, he thought confidently. They were allies.


	37. Chapter 37

**AMELIA**

By the time Amelia had gotten away from Castle Bam and dropped Brandon off with April and Phil with as little explanation as possible, she had missed her scheduled flight and was forced to get a later one. She was incredibly frustrated and upset as it meant that she would not make it to LA in time for Steve's intervention. She had also managed to leave her phone behind in the process but Dico had graciously offered her his as she would need it to get in touch with Jeff.

The flight had been a miserable one as she pondered her future. All she could be certain of was that there was no future for her in Westchester anymore. Simultaneously she wondered whether or not she would see Johnny during this trip. This time she would be staying in a hotel, which did not particularly fill her with excitement. Eventually she landed in Los Angeles airport feeling extremely exhausted and upset. Her life was steadily falling apart and she had no idea what to do about it or who to turn to. Luckily Jeff had been expecting her and she spotted him as soon as she passed through security. He was on his own and she tried not to think too much of this as she flung her arms around him, grateful to see a familiar face.

"Hey Jeff, thank for picking me up." She smiled as convincingly as she could.

"Jeez Amelia, are you ok?" Jeff looked her up and down. Her face was void of makeup and she looked as if she had lost a lot of weight since the last time he had seen her. Her jeans and jumper seemed to hang off her body and her skin was unhealthily pale.

"I'm fine." She laughed. Now was not the time to start explaining herself so she brushed him off as they made their way to his van to go and see Steve-O.

"How did the intervention go?" she asked as Jeff started the engine. "I'm so sorry I couldn't be there."

"It's ok Amelia. I know he'll be glad to see you today. He went with us ok last night but as you can probably imagine he kicked up a storm when we got him there. I don't think he realised that they were going to actually lock him up so to speak."

Amelia grimaced. She felt bad for Steve but at the same time she knew it was for his own good. She was also glad that Jeff did not press her on her reason for missing the flight. She would have to explain herself eventually but for the time being she was just trying to focus on Steve.

When they arrived at the centre, Jeff lead her inside and over to a reception desk. They waited patiently before a nurse beckoned them over. "He's doing a lot better today." She told Jeff. Jeff smiled politely and they followed her to Steve's room. As they arrived outside the door, Dimitry and Rick were just leaving.

"We've been trying to keep him company as much as possible." Jeff told her as Dimitry and Rick stopped briefly to chat to them. Jeff explained that Chris, Dave, Wee-Man, Ehren and Preston were planning on flying over that weekend to pay their friend a visit. Eventually her curiosity got the better of her and before entering the room she found herself asking Jeff were Johnny was.

"Oh, he flew to Tennessee this morning." Jeff explained casually, wishing that Johnny had told Amelia this himself rather than leaving him as mediator. "He's filming a new movie."

"Oh." Amelia replied, feeling more than a little put out. She wondered why Johnny had not told her this himself, but then again they hadn't spoken about anything since she had left LA so what business what it of hers if he didn't feel the need to tell her his every moment. She shook these thoughts to the back of her mind and walked in to see Steve.

Steve was lying on the bed at the far end of the room, with his hands behind his head, looking the picture of serenity in contrast to his surroundings. The room was sickeningly sterile with bright white painted walls and the bare minimum in terms of decor and furniture. Amelia was reminded of a hospital but without the machines.

"Hey Steve." Amelia called across the room, causing him to look up from his position and jump to his feet when he saw who it was.

Amelia walked slowly across the room to meet him as he hurried over to wrap her in his arms. "Meels, thank God you're here. The guys... they think I'm crazy! They've got me locked up in this hell hole. You need to get me out."

"Steve..." she sighed gently, rubbing his back and trying not to let it show that she was slightly phased by his manic ranting. "They're just worried about you. We all are. This is for the best you know." She heard the door shut behind them. Jeff was obviously giving them some time alone.

"But I'm fine Amelia!" he said, pulling away and looking at her with big, scared eyes. "There's nothing wrong with me. You have to believe me."

Amelia ignored his last comment and took a seat in the chair beside the bed, running her hands through her limp and lifeless hair. She could tell Steve's last binge of drinking and drugs had not quite worn off yet, but when it did she hoped that there would be a marked improvement and perhaps he would be able to admit to himself that there was a problem. Steve remained in his position in the middle of the room and watched her suspiciously.

"You look like shit Amelia." he stated simply and out of the blue, causing her to twitch her lips into a faint smile.

"Thanks Steve." She laughed as he came closer to her. "So do you."

"No seriously." He said when he was standing directly in front of her. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it. We're here to talk about you, not me." She reminded him.

"Well seeing as you also seem to think I'm insane and you're clearly not gonna help me with my escape plan, you better spit it out. I'm bored solid here and a good dose of drama is just what I need. You wouldn't deny me of that now would you Amelia?"

Amelia shook her head in exasperation. "Steve...I don't think you're insane..."

He cut her off. "You owe me an explanation Amelia. I want the details."

Amelia sighed and decided she would have to use this situation to her advantage. "Ok ok. We talk about me and then we talk about you. Deal?"

Steve simply shrugged and sat down on the bed so Amelia took this as an agreement. "I'm leaving Bam." The words sounded strange coming from her mouth. She had known since she walked out yesterday that she was going to leave him, but saying it out loud made it seem so much more real. Steve raised his eyebrows and listened intently as she described everything that had happened since New Year, careful to miss out anything to do with Johnny. She did not want to talk about him right now.

"Shit." He exclaimed once she had finished talking. "I told you Bam's a dick. So what are you going to do now?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "I need to get away from Westchester and then find a new job and somewhere to live I guess. Now it's your turn. What's going on Steve?"

Steve shrugged and started to tell her how he had been feeling recently, questioning the point of everything and wondering what he was supposed to do with his life if he wasn't making films. Amelia sympathised with him and was glad to see she had managed to break down some of the wall that he had built up around himself.

Amelia was starting to feel a little better as she and Jeff climbed back into the van a few hours later. Talking things through with Steve had helped her come to terms with her situation and she was hopeful that Steve would start to improve once the drugs had had time to leave his system. She had promised to visit him every day and all that was left now was to find accommodation. She did not know how long she would stay in LA. Obviously she would have to return to Westchester soon, she could not be parted from Brandon for long, but she wanted to be there for Steve for as long as he needed her. Despite this, Amelia could not shake the overwhelming feeling of loneliness, out here in a big and unfamiliar city with her two closest friends unavailable. Jeff and the other crew members were there but she was not as close to them as she was with Johnny and Steve.

As Jeff drove through the streets of LA towards a hotel, Amelia felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She wondered who it could be, seeing as not many people knew she was using Dico's. In fact, the only people who knew she was using this number were Dico himself, April, Phil, Jeff and... Jenn. On the spur of the moment she had called Jenn at the airport after seeing that Dico still had her number stored. She had thought she may as well keep herself available as Jenn had promised to help her out.

The picture made her heart stop. She wasn't sure why she was surprised by the content, perhaps she was more surprised by the fact that Jenn had actually kept to her word and sent it. It was exactly the kind of evidence she had been waiting for, second only to seeing it with her own eyes. There was no mistaking Bam in the picture and the woman wrapping her legs around his waist certainly wasn't his wife. Underneath, Jenn had written a simple but effective message.

_Sorry you had to find out like this but I thought you would want to know. I saw them in a club in town last night. The girl is Terri. Hope you're ok. Love Jenn x_

"Are you ok?" Jeff asked worriedly as he realised that Amelia had gone quiet. Amelia struggled to find her voice. She had been expecting to see something of this sort but nothing could have prepared her for how it would make her feel. She was angry, upset, confused but most of all she felt embarrassed with herself for allowing Bam to make a fool of her in this way. There was no point in lying to Jeff. This new revelation, coupled with Johnny's absence had sent her emotions over the edge and she shook her head slowly and bit her lip to try and stem the flow of tears. Jeff watched her concernedly and rather than stopping outside the hotel he continued to drive.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked gently as the tears streaming down her face became obvious.

Amelia nodded silently, still unable to find her voice.

After a short while Jeff pulled up outside a big house that she assumed must be his. He opened the door and took her bags from the trunk, gesturing for her to join him.

"Let's go inside and talk. I'm not having you staying in a hotel." He told her sincerely as she climbed out of the car and stood by his side. "The spare room is yours for as long as you want it."

Amelia smiled gratefully and followed him inside. Jeff made sure she was comfortable in the living room before reappearing with two cups of coffee. "I'm listening whenever you're ready." He said, sitting down beside her on the sofa.

"I don't know where to start." She mumbled. For some reason it had been easier to tell Steve, but perhaps that was because he had his own, more important problems and she had not received Jenn's text at that point. "Bam's been cheating on me." She sighed eventually, showing the photo on her phone to Jeff. "I suspected it all along but now I have proof." She continued to explain the reason for her delay in arriving in LA and how Bam had told her not to bother coming back.

As she spoke she found herself unable to stem the flow of her tears and the fell rapidly down her cheeks. Jeff pulled her into his arms and she sobbed uncontrollably onto his shoulder until she had no more tears left to cry. Jeff was surprisingly comforting and she wished she could disappear into his arms and never face any one again. She felt so stupid for allowing Bam to walk all over her and now her whole life had come apart. How could she have been so stupid? She should have trusted her instincts on her wedding night and not gone ahead with it. Everything would have been so different now. Perhaps Johnny would have been here with her.

"I'm leaving him." She told Jeff finally. "I don't know where I'll go or what I'll do but I'm not going back to him."

"Amelia. Come and work for me." Jeff said gently. "Please think about it. I was serious about what I said on New Year's Eve."

Amelia promised to think about it.


	38. Chapter 38

**AMELIA**

Being in LA was a whole different experience to the last time Amelia had been there. There was no Johnny to chaperone her around and now she felt like a lost tourist as she tried to get around the city, especially with her English accent. Already she had been there for a week and Jeff had rented a car for her but Amelia had spent most of her time visiting Steve or hiding away at Jeff's house. She had not heard from anyone back in Westchester except from the occasional text from April to say that Brandon was ok. She had still not told her mother in law that she was leaving Bam. That was not going to be a fun conversation. It was difficult enough telling her own mother the news when she rang unexpectedly one afternoon. Amelia had been lounging around Jeff's house and feeling sorry for herself after visiting Steve when she heard Dico's ring tone and recognised the number as an English one.

"Hi, mum?"

"Amelia, what's going on? I've been trying to ring all week but you weren't answering your phone. I had to ring April just to get hold of you." Her mother ranted without pausing for breath.

"Sorry mum, I'm not in Westchester at the moment and I left my phone behind." Amelia explained, trying to work out how she would handle this situation. Should she tell her mother everything?

"Yes, April said something had come up. Where are you? Is everything ok Amelia? Rose is worried about you after her visit at New Year." Her mother continued. Amelia silently groaned. She could just imagine her sister letting something to slip to their mother. She hadn't wanted to involve her mum as it would just make her worry unnecessarily. Amelia was old enough to look after herself or so she thought.

"Are you sitting down mum? This is going to take some explaining." Amelia sighed. She was going to have to get around to telling her parents eventually.

"Yes I'm sitting down Amelia. You're scaring me. What's going on?"

Amelia took a deep breath before letting the bomb drop. "I'm leaving Bam."

"What?" her mother exclaimed in horror. "Since when?"

Amelia proceeded to explain for the fourth time that week about the breakdown of her marriage. She realised this was coming out of the blue for her mother as she had never mentioned to her parents the problems she and Bam had been having.

"But you've not even been married for a year." Amelia could just picture her mother shaking her head dramatically at the other end of the line. "Couldn't you just try and fix things?"

"Mum, he's been cheating on me. I'm not prepared to forgive him for that." Amelia reminded her mother angrily.

"What are you going to do then? Why don't you come home?" her mother suggested, and Amelia knew how desperate her mother was to see more of her grandson.

"I really don't know. I'm staying with a friend for now until I get my head sorted. I've been offered a job here in LA."

"Well you know your father and I will support you no matter what you decide to do. Maybe you should come home for a while and take some time out?"

"Thanks mum. I will come and see you. I just need to figure out what I'm going to do first."

Jeff came back from the office that evening and announced that they were going out. Chris had flown back over from Florida and Dave and Ehren were over to visit Steve so it had been decided that they would all go for a few drinks with the rest of the crew. According to Jeff, Amelia was not exempt from this and he would drag her to the bar kicking and screaming if he had to.

To begin with, Amelia had no desire to go out what so ever and she thought that Jeff might well have to live up to his promise of dragging her there, but by the time she had changed into some nice clothes and done her hair and makeup she started to look forward to seeing the guys. It was just what she needed to take her mind off the failure of her marriage and how much she wished Johnny was around. She had still not heard anything from him and she did not want to be the one chasing after him so she continued her vow of silence where he was concerned. She was incredibly grateful that Jeff had not brought the subject of their relationship up during the time she had been staying with him.

The guys were over the moon to see Amelia, as she had not seen most of them since the takeover in November and it was now February. She was happy that Jeff had made it a sort of work related do and none of the guys had brought their girlfriends as she would have found herself incredibly out of place. As ever, Amelia fit back into the group perfectly and it was as if she had never been away from them. They were as much a family to her as the others back in Westchester and it was a relief to know that she had good friends here too.

Amelia saw no point in beating around the bush or denying anything so she told them all straight out that she was leaving Bam, which meant she could enjoy the rest of her evening without worrying about what they might think. To her surprise, the news did not seem to come as much of a shock for the guys and they were all very supportive of her, telling her she could do a lot better, even if he was their friend.

"Bam's a fucking moron." Dave told her, while Chris wasted no time in expressing his feelings on the situation. "Damn it Amelia, now you're single and I'm unavailable. Bad timing or what!" Amelia laughed and started to relax as the drinks flowed steadily.

As usual, Ehren was the one to put his foot in it and mention Johnny but Jeff quickly punched him in the groin and Amelia had enough to drink that she let it slide. By the end of the night Amelia was in her element and she had managed to clear her head from thoughts of Bam and Johnny for most of the evening. She was even starting to consider taking Jeff's job offer up as it would mean that she got to see more of the guys and they were spending most of their time pushing the idea on to her. There would be an issue of finding somewhere to live and childcare for Brandon but she definitely had to think about it as it would be an amazing opportunity.

Over the next few days Amelia was beginning to feel better about things. April and Phil had found out about the situation from Ryan and April, horrified at her son's behaviour, was flying out on the next plane to LA with Brandon to spend some time with her daughter in law. The prospect of being reunited with her son was a most welcome one. What she needed now was a fresh start and she was slowly realising that LA might just be the place she could find it. She already had plenty of friends there and finding work was not going to be an issue. Amelia had made a habit of jumping in at the deep end and now it was time to take another leap.

When Jeff was safely out of the house and on his way to the offices one morning, Amelia started to get ready. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it properly. She had told Steve of her plans before anyone else and he had seemed enthralled by the prospect of her being around on a permanent basis. She had continued to visit him every day without fail and she was starting to see a slow but steady improvement now that his body was getting used to the lack of drugs flowing through his system. However, he still had a long way to go and Amelia wanted to be there to support him.

An hour later, dressed in a smart blouse, jeans, heels and a blazer and feeling more confident about herself than she had in a long time, Amelia climbed into the rental car and made her way to the offices. Jeff was suitably surprised to see her standing outside his office for the second time in three months. "You've got a funny habit of turning up at my office like this."Jeff laughed as she walked in.

"I just can't stay away Jeff." She grinned, taking a seat in the empty chair opposite him.

"So to what do I owe this honour?" He folded his hands underneath his shin and stared at Amelia curiously. The devilish glint in his eye suggested that he actually had a fairly good idea of why she had come to see him.

"I'd like to apply for a job." She smiled, watching Jeff's face unfold into a huge grin.

"You're hired."


	39. Chapter 39

**JOHNNY**

_- 4 Months Later -_

The afternoon sun blinded Johnny as he walked out of Los Angeles airport and instantly he was glad to be back. It had been nice to spend some time back in his home state and to hang out with his family but for the majority of the time he had been rushed off his feet with filming for the new movie and he was relieved that they had wound up finishing several weeks ahead of schedule. He was looking forward to being reunited with his daughter and catching up with the Dickhouse guys. Now that he was back in LA however, it didn't mean that he would have chance to rest. In the coming months he would soon be back on the road with a hectic agenda of photo shoots, magazine interviews and television appearances to promote the film, along with the premiere for his previous film.

He adjusted his shades before hailing a taxi. He was tired and gagging for a beer but rather than heading straight home Johnny figured he would swing by the offices to catch up with Jeff. He had not spoken to any of the guys much while he had been away and he was keen to see how Steve had been doing. He felt pretty shit for staging the intervention and then hopping on to a plane for four months so now would be his chance to make up for it as best he could.

Johnny stared lazily out of the taxi window as it cruised through the streets of downtown LA. He couldn't keep his mind from wandering to Amelia and he wondered what was going on with her and Bam. He had purposely avoided contact with her in order to focus on his film and try to get his head back to normal. It was a selfish reason but it had helped and now he felt confident that they could put the past behind them and salvage the remains of their friendship. That was, if Amelia felt the same. Before he knew it they had pulled up outside the familiar office building and Johnny could not suppress a huge grin. He was home. As he made his way through the corridors of the Dickhouse headquarters towards the office that he and Jeff shared he was welcomed by the sight of many friendly faces. He had not told anyone that he was returning early and they were all surprised to see him back so soon.

"PJ!" Jeff exclaimed as he caught sight of his friend in the doorway to the office. "I didn't realise you were coming back yet."

"Surprise!" Johnny grinned as he entered the room, removing his shades and sitting down at his desk. "Ahh, it's good to be back." He propped his feet up on the desk and stretched back in his seat dramatically, pausing to enjoy the moment. "So what did I miss?"

"Where to start?" Jeff wondered as he scratched his head, earning him a curious look from Johnny. Little did Johnny realise, at lot had changed while he had been away. "Well Steve's doing good and making a lot of progress you'll be pleased to know." Jeff began casually whilst wondering the best way to approach the rest of the news.

Johnny smiled and they chatted about Steve for a few minutes until Jeff changed the subject. "There was one other...development." he smiled awkwardly but before he could get to the point, Johnny heard someone knock on the open door. Both he and Jeff glanced around to see who it was and to Johnny's disbelief he found himself staring into a pair of unforgettable eyes. Amelia.

"Amelia!" Johnny exclaimed in surprise, the sight of her causing him to nearly fall backwards off his chair in shock. Once he stabilised himself he had chance to fully take in her appearance. She was standing in the doorway with her arms folded around a wad of paperwork and there was something different about her but he couldn't really put his finger on what. She looked very professional in her blouse and heels but she had clearly lost a lot of weight and despite her makeup he could still tell that she had dark circles beneath her eyes.

"Johnny?" her eyes were equally as wide as his and her mouth was slightly open as she stared at him with an unreadable expression on her face.

Jeff laughed nervously. "Johnny, meet our newest camera operator and associate producer. Man, this is awkward. I'm gonna leave you guys to talk." And with that Jeff had swiftly exited the office, leaving Amelia and Johnny to continue staring at one another in surprise.

It had been four months since they had spoken. Four months since they had any contact at all and instantly Johnny regretted this. He had been incredibly selfish and pathetic. Clearly so much had changed since then and he was completely clueless. "What's going on Amelia?" was all he could manage to say.

Amelia dropped her shoulders as if she was carrying a big weight and slowly walked round to Jeff's chair and sank down into it. The large chair seemed to swamp her body, making her look even smaller and Johnny fought the overwhelming urge to put his arms around her and protect her. "I don't know where to start." She shrugged, smiling in spite of herself. "Things have been kind of crazy."

She told Johnny all about Bam and his infidelity and Johnny wanted to kick himself for not being there for her while she had been going through such a tough time. Some friend he was.

He couldn't believe what he was hearing and even more shocking was the way Amelia held herself together as she recalled the events leading up to her arriving in LA. He knew Bam was a dick but he had never really thought his friend was capable of fucking things up so much.

"I wish I hadn't missed you that day." Johnny said bitterly, realising that if his flight had only been a few hours later he would have seen Amelia and found out everything four months later. But would it have changed anything? He would still have had a movie to shoot and a contract to keep to. What could he have done to help if he was the other side of the country?

"So what are you doing now?" Johnny asked, realising what a silly question this was.

"Well April flew out with Brandon after I'd been here for a couple of weeks. We stayed with Jeff for about a month before he found us a little apartment round the corner from him." She smiled gently, explaining her current situation and how she came to be working at Dickhouse. "I'm only working a couple of days here and there at the moment because I don't want to leave Brandon with a babysitter all the time."

"I can't believe that you've been going through this all this time and I didn't have a clue." Johnny put his head in his hands in frustration. His only consolation was that Jeff had stepped in. "I'm so sorry Amelia, I should have been there for you."

"It's not your fault Johnny. I didn't tell you." She bit her lip.

"I didn't ask..." he muttered and stood up. In one swift movement Johnny and Amelia were in one another's arms, holding on to each other as if their lives depended on it.

"I've missed you so much Johnny." Amelia sobbed into his shoulder and clung on to him as tightly as she could. The warmth of her body and the scent of her perfume were comfortingly familiar and he buried his head in her hair.

"I've missed you too." He whispered into her hair, keeping his arms around her as tightly as he could and secretly vowing that he would never let her go again.


	40. Chapter 40

**AMELIA**

Amelia looked up at Johnny and for a few seconds she imagined what might happen if she was to kiss him there and then. Seeing him again had put her emotions in to overdrive but unable to build up the courage, Amelia looked away and the moment was lost. She put that crazy thought to the back of her mind and hey pulled apart and returned to their seats. Just at that moment Jeff reappeared in the office and pulled up an extra seat at the desk. He looked cautiously from Johnny to Amelia, clearly hoping he hadn't interrupted anything too important. Amelia and Johnny simply watched him curiously, waiting for him to say something. He seemed more awkward than they did and Amelia tried hard not to laugh.

"So..." Jeff clapped his hands together finally when it was clear no one was going to say anything. "Why don't you two go grab a coffee? I'm sure you've still got lots to talk about and I have a shit ton of work to do." Jeff laughed, looking again from Amelia to Johnny.

They both nodded and made their way out of the office quickly, leaving Jeff to get on with it. "Did I just get kicked out of my own office?" Johnny laughed incredulously as they entered the staff meeting room.

"So it would seem." Amelia giggled, taking a seat on the sofa. "You've only been back five minutes and already Jeff's had enough of you."

"I blame you." He grinned, nudging her arm gently before he started pouring two cups of coffee.

Amelia relaxed back on the sofa and watched Johnny, trying to avoid grinning like an idiot over the fact that her friend was back. It had been a huge surprise to see him sitting in the office that afternoon, especially as Jeff had been vague on details of when he was due home and Amelia hadn't wanted to ask too many questions. Her choice to move to LA had been all about what was best for her and Brandon rather than the fact that it was also Johnny's home. Having him around now was just a bonus.

All had been quiet on the Bam front over the past four months. She had half expected him to try and get in touch demanding to see his son but then again he was probably too busy enjoying his new single lifestyle. Amelia realised that sooner or later she was going to have to figure out what she was going to do with regard to her marriage but she was too busy settling into life in LA and at the age of twenty six she could not imagine going through a divorce. It was all a little bit surreal.

Johnny distracted her from her thoughts by handing her a cup. "You ok?" he grinned. "You looked like you were deep in thought."

"Yeah I'm fine." She smiled truthfully as Johnny sat down beside her on the sofa. She shivered as his arm brushed against her and she willed him to sit closer to her. The distance between them although small was incredibly painful. She wanted him to take her in his arms again and kiss her like he had at New Year. Johnny however, kept his distance.

Disappointment washed over Amelia and she sipped her coffee quietly, upset with herself for letting her imagination get carried away just like she had done in the office. Sure, they had declared their love for one another, but that had been months ago and it didn't change anything did it? She had gone back to Bam, regardless of the fact that it had been a huge mistake, and Johnny had gotten on with his own life. She was incredibly selfish to expect anything more.

They smiled at one another awkwardly. "So how are you finding life at Dickhouse?" Johnny asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm loving it." Amelia grinned truthfully. "Everyone's been lovely and I can't believe how fast these past four months have gone."

Johnny grinned broadly. "It's good to have you here." He put his hand gently on her arm. "Let me know if there's anything I can do to help you out."

"Thank you Johnny." She stared into his eyes and had to blink to avoid getting lost in them. "I was thinking about having a birthday party for Brandon next week. He'll be two this time next week. I wondered if you and Madison would like to come over to the flat?" She watched him nervously, waiting for his response and aware that his hand was still on her arm.

"We'd love to." Johnny smiled. "Madison will be so excited to see you again. She loved having you two around at New Year." Johnny realised what he had said and quickly changed the subject, dropping his hand to his side. "So uh, you wanna hang out sometime?"

Amelia nodded. "Yeah, that'd be nice. It's been kind of weird being in LA and not having you around." She admitted.

"Well it's good to be back and even better to have you here." He grinned. "Oh and I hope you're still up for coming to that premiere with me next month." His eyes twinkled. "You did promise."

"Of course." She laughed and they continued to chat about nothing in particular.

"I'm going to head home." Johnny told her after a while. "I could really use a shower. I guess I'll see you in the office tomorrow?"

Amelia smiled weakly. "I guess you will." She replied.

That evening Amelia crashed on the sofa with a glass of wine and Brandon in her arms. For some inexplicable reason Johnny's return had left her feeling worse about herself than she had since she first arrived in LA to see Steve-O. As she stared at the TV she realised she was crying and she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. What had gotten into her? Shouldn't she be glad that Johnny was back?

After seeing him again today at the office she had realised that she wanted to be with Johnny, but it was too late. Things might have been different if she hadn't left him in January and gone back to Bam like the idiot she was, but now she had missed her chance. She should just be grateful for the fact that she had Johnny back in her life as a friend, she told herself bitterly. Part of her wanted to finally confront Johnny about what they had both said at New Year. She didn't know how many more mixed signals she could take from him but at the same time she was terrified that she would push him away and she was not prepared to lose him again.


	41. Chapter 41

**JOHNNY**

The next morning Johnny arrived at the Dickhouse headquarters bright and early. He popped his head around the door to the office that Amelia now shared with fellow camera operators Rick and Dimitry, hoping to catch her to say hi but she was nowhere to be seen.

"If you're looking for Amelia, she's not in til this afternoon." Dimitry looked up from his computer screen and laughed at Johnny's puzzled face.

"Oh right, thanks." Johnny replied and made his way to his own office where Jeff was already hard at work, or so it seemed. Johnny peered over at Jeff's screen and saw that he was in fact playing computer games rather than doing anything productive.

"I see nothing's changed while I've been away." Johnny observed, sitting down.

Jeff was too engrossed in his game to reply so Johnny took off his shoe and threw it at Jeff's head, laughing as it bounced right off him and landed perfectly back in Johnny's lap. This proved to be enough to gain Jeff's attention and he responded by throwing his own shoe back but missed poorly.

"Haven't you got some place to be Knoxville? Someone else to bother?"

"Nah, this is technically my week off." Johnny smiled, putting his shoe back on. "I thought I'd focus my attention on you babe."

"Well don't I feel special." Jeff grunted, returning to his zombie killing game. "Why don't you go and talk to Amelia?"

Johnny's brow furrowed in confusion. "About what? She's not in til this afternoon." He said, repeating Dimitry.

"Oh shit yeah. I always forget she does half days on Tuesdays. Well. I'm sure you two have more catching up to do right?" Jeff suggested, tapping away furiously on the keyboard.

Johnny shrugged. He couldn't help but feel that Jeff was trying to hint at something but he decided to ignore it. The last thing he wanted to do was pounce on Amelia now that he was back. Perhaps they might have a shot at being together now but it would be stupid for him to rush in to anything. What they both needed was time to get used to being around each other again; time to assess their feelings.

Johnny leant back in his chair and span himself around by pushing his foot against the desk until he was dizzy. He needed some inspiration, but for what he was not sure. Jeff was making strange noises, suggesting that the zombies were getting the better of him but Johnny felt he had exhausted the possibilities of this particular office so he stalked off in search of mischief elsewhere.

That afternoon Johnny paid his first visit to Steve who was now staying in a sober living complex a few miles out of town. Apparently he was no longer a danger to himself and now his main focus was to stay off the drugs and alcohol. Johnny thought he seemed a lot happier and they spent the afternoon outside in the backyard where Steve could skate.

"So, you and Amelia eh?" Steve nudged Johnny playfully as he skated around him.

"What about us?" Johnny frowned at Steve as he attempted a trick and fell off his board onto the concrete. "I thought we were supposed to talk about you." Why was everyone so concerned about his relationship with Amelia all of a sudden? Had he missed something?

"Ow!" Steve exclaimed, rolling over and sprawling out on the ground dramatically. "I'm out of practice." He laughed.

Johnny offered his hand to help Steve to his feet. "What about me and Amelia?" he repeated, taking his sunglasses off once Steve had brushed himself down.

"Are you getting it on yet?" Steve grinned widely and winked knowingly at Johnny as he pulled his jeans up and wandered over to a bench.

It seemed that coming off the drink and drugs had not made Steve anymore tactful. "No." Johnny replied bluntly, joining him on the bench.

"Aw dude. Why the hell not?" Steve moaned, looking at Johnny in disappointment before pulling his t-shirt back on.

"Steve dude." Johnny had to laugh. "I've only been back for two days and I don't think..."

"There's no time to waste." Steve interrupted abruptly. "Now she's single she'll be getting offers left right and centre. Hell, I might ask her out myself."

Johnny rolled his eyes and twirled his sunglasses between his thumb and forefinger. "She's just split up with her husband. The last thing she wants is to get into another relationship so soon."

"Ah fuck that Knoxville. You still like her right?" Steve looked at him seriously, resting his feet on his skateboard.

Johnny nodded slightly. Of course he still liked her. He was still irrevocably in love with her and there was nothing he wanted more than to be with her, but it was not the right time.

"Well, don't be a dick." And with that Steve skated off again.

Never one to take advice, even when it was startlingly good advice, Johnny tried to give Amelia a wide berth when they were at work together. He was slightly worried that she would get sick of the sight of him before he had even chance to talk to her, so he continued to focus his efforts on winding Jeff up be it with stun gun, cattle prod or air horn. He couldn't help but question if Amelia was trying to avoid him too. While he knew she only worked a few days a week, when she was scheduled in the office she was proving to be just as elusive as Dimitry. He wondered what they got up to and why they couldn't take Rick with them.


	42. Chapter 42

**AMELIA**

Having Johnny back in LA was not actually turning out to be much different from when he was away. For the first week he had been back, Amelia had hardly seen him when she was in the office. The only sign that he was back came from the steady flow of yelps of pain and frustration coming from Jeff's general direction. Amelia tried not to let this bother her. They would have plenty of time to talk and hang out in the future now that they were colleagues. In fact, Amelia thought to herself, she would probably see him tonight. It was Saturday and seeing as everyone would be off the next day, Jeff had organised another office night out.

Amelia heard the buzzer to her apartment ring and she realised that Jeff must be early picking her up. He had offered to drive her to the bar where they were meeting so that she could have a drink. She quickly finished applying her lipstick and checked her appearance in the mirror. At the back of her mind she was aware that Johnny would be there tonight and even if there was nothing going on between them she wanted to look nice. She had chosen the same black body con dress she had worn for New Year as it brought back happy memories.

She reached the door and smoothed her dress down before opening it. She was taken aback by the sight of Johnny standing in front of her with a big smile on his face. He was wearing a white button down shirt underneath a black blazer and jeans. She grinned as she spotted his familiar converse.

"Hi." She exclaimed. "I wasn't expecting you." She laughed as Johnny pulled her into a friendly hug. Amelia couldn't help but notice that he smelt amazing.

"Yeah, sorry about that." Johnny said, pulling away. "Jeff rang to say he was running late and asked if I'd pick you up." Johnny explained as Amelia stood back to let him in. "Nice place you've got here."

"Oh thanks." She smiled, putting her phone and purse into a handbag while Johnny looked around. "And thank you for picking me up."

Johnny's eyes twinkled. "It's my pleasure. You can't rely on Tremaine for anything." Amelia followed Johnny out of her apartment and they climbed into his car. "Where's Brandon tonight?"

"He's staying at Jeff's tonight actually. Laura's babysitting." She smiled, thinking gratefully of Jeff's girlfriend. She had been a great help since Amelia had moved to LA.

Johnny nodded. "What's the name of this bar?" he asked as he pulled on to the main road.

"Erm, I can't even pronounce it." Amelia laughed, pulling out her phone and showing Johnny the text that Jeff had sent her earlier. She was still not completely familiar with the city and was only just getting the hang of finding her way around without getting lost.

"That's weird." Johnny frowned at the message before turning his attention back to the road.

"What is?" Amelia wondered curiously, staring at Johnny.

"Well, as far as I know that's a really posh Thai restaurant, not a bar." he told her, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel to a song that had just come on the radio.

"Really? I'm sure Jeff said we were just going for a few drinks." Amelia stared at the text.

"That's what I thought." Johnny agreed.

They chatted for the duration of the short drive and when they arrived at their destination it turned out that Johnny had been correct. 'Chaophraya' was indeed a very posh and expensive looking Thai restaurant. Amelia and Johnny climbed out of the car and exchanged suspicious glances. What was Jeff thinking?

"After you." Amelia laughed, gesturing for Johnny to lead the way inside. She was glad she had dressed up for the occasion as they entered the restaurant and she took in the dimly lit hall, complete with authentic Thai decor, right down to the indoor waterfall at the back of the room. It was beautiful. Amelia looked around trying to spot any familiar faces, leaving Johnny to do the talking. "Hi, do you have a table for Tremaine?" Johnny asked the maître d.

"No, there's no Tremaine here." The man informed him, double checking his booking list. Amelia stepped closer to Johnny, wondering what was going on. Johnny shrugged his shoulders at her. He was equally as confused.

"What about Dickhouse or Knoxville?" Johnny suggested. It was worth a shot but the man shook his head again. Amelia stifled a laugh as Johnny ran through a list of his friends' names, earning him a suspicious look from the maître d. It was quite funny, she thought. Perhaps Jeff was playing a prank on them. It wouldn't be the first time and Johnny definitely deserved it.

"Clapp?" Amelia asked suddenly, thinking of Johnny's real surname.

"Ah yes, Clapp." The man nodded. "Follow me please."

"Good thinking!" Johnny exclaimed, high fiving Amelia as they followed the man.

They came to a stop by a small candlelit table at the back of the room but both Amelia and Johnny frowned when they saw that it was a table for two. It seemed Jeff had been pranking them after all. Amelia glanced at Johnny. "Did you know about this?"

Johnny shook his head and laughed. "Not a clue." He told her. "It would seem that Jeff fancies himself as a bit of a matchmaker."

Amelia tried not to blush as they took a seat opposite one another, secretly cursing Jeff in her head. It wasn't that she didn't want to be here with Johnny, but it would have been nice to have the heads up and maybe have been asked by Johnny himself. As it stood, she had no idea if he really wanted to be here with her. It was highly possible that Johnny would just go along with this out of politeness.

Johnny seemed to be taking the set up in good spirit however and wasted no time in ordering a bottle of wine. "Well, I have to confess that the company is infinitely better than I had expected." He winked across the table at her.

"Likewise." She smiled as they waited for their wine.

"You look beautiful tonight Amelia."

"Thank you Johnny." She blushed again. It was going to one of those nights. Before he could say anything else a waiter appeared with a bottle of red wine and took their order.

"It's nice to finally spend some time alone." Johnny smiled gently when the waiter had left. "Do you remember that time we went out for a meal in Westchester?"

Amelia nodded, unable to find her voice. What was happening to her? She had never been shy or nervous around Johnny before, not even from day one. As she remembered the time in question, she wondered how different things would have been if they had realised their feelings for one another right from the start. "Yeah and I hope you don't intend to get me as drunk as you did that time." She laughed, surprising herself.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Johnny grinned devilishly, pouring Amelia a suspiciously large glass of wine. Amelia raised her eyebrow but took a sip anyway and started to relax as they settled into comfortable conversation, reminiscing about the old times and carefully leaving out any mention of Bam. The food was lovely and Johnny was acting like a perfect gentleman. Amelia decided she would have to find some way of thanking Jeff. She was having such a nice evening.

"How's about we get the hell out of here?" Johnny suggested with a glint in his eye once they had finished eating and their bottle of wine was empty. "I know just the place."

Amelia nodded. She was not ready for the night to end just yet and after paying the bill Johnny led the way out of the restaurant. The wine had gone to her head a little and she regretted wearing high heels. She could tell that Johnny was also feeling the effects of the wine as he was laughing loudly. They made their way into a crowded bar a little way down the street. There was a band playing and Amelia and Johnny had to shout to make themselves heard over the sound of country music. Amelia felt slightly out of place in the rowdy atmosphere, especially in her little black dress but Johnny kept a protective arm around her lower back as they stood at the bar waiting to get served.

Johnny passed her a glass. "What's this?" she asked, eyeing the drink suspiciously and turning towards Johnny so that she could talk into his ear. She was aware of the fact that his arm remained on her back but she didn't mind. She hoped he would keep it there.

"Jack and coke of course." Johnny laughed back at her, shaking his head. Amelia grinned in approval and took a sip.

"Now you're really trying to get me drunk." She giggled into his ear and put a hand on his chest to steady herself.

Johnny nodded proudly, sipping his own drink with a grin on his face. The bar was so busy that there was nowhere to sit down so they remained standing at the bar and huddled closer to one another as people continued to crowd around them, waiting for drinks. Johnny's arm was still around her and before she knew it, he had finished his glass and was getting in another round. Amelia finished her first drink quickly in a bid to keep up with Johnny, even though she realised she would probably regret it in the morning.

"Let's dance." Johnny grinned once Amelia had finished her second drink.

Amelia shook her head. "Oh no Johnny. No way!" There were a few other couples on the dance floor but Amelia was not prepared to go and make a fool of herself. She could not dance to save her life. Johnny however, had other ideas.

"Come on!" he took her by the arm and dragged her towards the floor. Amelia stumbled after him in her less than sensible choice of footwear and found herself being pulled into his arms.

"I can't dance!" she shouted into his ear as he put his hands on her hips and they started to move.

"Neither can I!" he shouted back, grinning. "Just follow me." He started wiggling his hips.

Amelia shook her head and laughed, putting her own arms around Johnny's neck and letting him lead. She was painfully aware of the fact that the whole bar was probably watching them. Johnny was a celebrity after all.

"You look so cute when you're embarrassed." Johnny leant towards her and whispered, his hot breath tickling her neck. Right on cue Amelia's cheeks flushed but she was not sure whether it was due to what Johnny had said or just as a result of how close their bodies were to one another.

"I'll get you back for this Knoxville." She warned him.


	43. Chapter 43

**JOHNNY**

Johnny tried desperately not to laugh at Amelia but it was so hard as her cheeks flushed bright red at his comment and threatened to get him back. Johnny responded by squeezing her tightly and licking her face, earning him a knee to the groin. Johnny roared with laughter despite the pain. Jeff might have been sneaky but he owed the guy a drink for his effort. Granted, it wasn't that much of a big deal, but Johnny would probably have never worked up the courage to ask Amelia to dinner himself. He could only hope that she was having as good a time as he was, but from the look on her face he was confident that she was. They stayed in the bar until it closed and stumbled out arm in arm to find a taxi home. Johnny was still not ready for the night to end and he considered asking Amelia back to his for a night cap, but he didn't want her to get the wrong idea.

"Thanks for an amazing night Johnny." She smiled as they climbed out of the taxi after it came to a stop outside her apartment. "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun."

"We should thank Jeff really." Johnny joked, overwhelmingly happy that she had enjoyed herself as they walked to the entrance to the apartments. They stared at one another for several moments and Johnny tried to think of something meaningful to say. He wanted to tell her how he felt about her. Well, she already knew that he loved her but he needed some other kind of gesture.

"I guess I should go inside. The taxi's waiting for you." Amelia pointed out, smiling hesitantly.

Johnny nodded. Time was running out. He needed to say or do something right now. Just as Amelia was about to turn away he took her arm. "Amelia, wait." She looked at him questioningly, waiting for him to explain himself but he couldn't find his voice. Johnny stepped closer towards Amelia and put a hand softly on her cheek. She closed her eyes and stayed completely still as he leant closer to her and brought his lips down onto hers. Amelia moved forward into the kiss and Johnny put his free hand around her waist, bring her even closer into him. They kissed hesitantly for a moment before Amelia suddenly reached her arms up around Johnny's neck and pulled his head down so that his lips were pressing harder against hers. This took him by surprise but he responded by deepening the kiss and holding her tighter.

After what seemed like a life time they broke away. Johnny realised the taxi was still waiting but they continued to stare at one another, both a little shell shocked by what had just happened.

"I err... I guess I'll see you on Monday yeah?" Johnny grinned awkwardly after the taxi driver beeped his horn impatiently.

Amelia simply nodded as if she was lost for words. Before she could say anything, Johnny took one last look at her and hurried off to catch his taxi. By the time he arrived home Johnny's head was spinning and it was only partially due to the alcohol. He wasn't quite sure what had come over him outside Amelia's apartment. He had intended to make some kind of gesture but he had certainly not planned on making a move like that. He hoped he had not scared her off but at the same time he was feeling giddy as he remembered the way Amelia had kissed him back. It had been five months since they had been so close.

Monday morning soon came around and Johnny remembered that it was Brandon's birthday and party today. Johnny had been worried that things might have been a little awkward between him and Amelia at work but as it turned out she was out filming with Rick for the day so he didn't get chance to see her. She had, however, left a little hand written note on his desk.

_Johnny,_

_The party starts at 7. Hope you and Madison can still make it._

_Love Amelia xxx_

_P.S. thanks for a great night on Saturday __J _

Johnny smiled to himself as he reread the note. He was looking forward to spending more time with Amelia that evening. Jeff was not in the office either, which Johnny thought was convenient as it meant that he was able to avoid the repercussions of his little matchmaking escapade. Still, Johnny would find some way to pay him back. While he appreciated Jeff's gesture, it was not in Johnny's nature to allow anyone to get away with setting him up, whether it was good or bad.

Johnny picked Madison after work and the two of them drove straight round to Amelia's. Madison was thrilled that Amelia and Brandon were now living permanently in LA. Mel had insisted on picking Madison up from Amelia's later that night. Her nosiness had gotten the better of her and she was desperate to meet the woman that had seemingly captured her ex husband's heart. When they pulled up outside Amelia's apartment block, there were a number of other cars already there including Jeff's. Perhaps Johnny would get chance to chew Jeff out after all. Amelia answered the door with the birthday boy in her arms and she led them into the living room were Jeff, Laura, Chris, Claire, Dimitry, Rick and Shanna from the office were already sitting. The carpet was strewn with wrapping paper and toys and Brandon was hyperactive. Johnny laughed as Amelia put him back down on the floor and he proceeded to show Johnny and Madison all of his gifts.

"The guys got a little carried away with presents." Amelia explained, chuckling to herself, looking at the other guests. "I don't think we actually have room in the apartment for all these toys!"

"Well Madison and I couldn't help but contribute to the effort." Johnny grinned and kneeled down on the floor so he was on the same level as Brandon. "Happy birthday dude." He smiled, passing two presents to the little boy. Johnny stood up next to Amelia and watched as Brandon squeaked with excitement as he ripped the paper open to reveal the latest games console.

"I know you're probably thinking he's a bit young, but I brought some educational games with it." Johnny laughed and nudged Amelia.

"Thank you Johnny, you shouldn't have!" She smiled, pulling him into a brief hug. "Say thank you to Johnny and Madison Brandon."

"Thank you." Brandon mumbled, turning shy all of a sudden.

Amelia went to the kitchen to fetch drinks for the guests while Johnny took a seat on the sofa by Jeff. "I don't know whether to hug you or punch you in the dick Tremaine." Johnny laughed under his breath to Jeff, who unconvincingly feigned innocence.

"No idea what you're talking about bro." He smiled as Amelia returned with a bottle of wine and a crate of beer. The drinks began to flow steadily and Johnny had chance to catch up with the guys that he had not seen much of since returning to LA while Madison taught Brandon how to use the Playstation. At the back of his mind he couldn't help but wonder if there would be time for him and Amelia to talk, but about what exactly he was not sure.

It was getting late and Amelia was waiting for Brandon to tire out so that she could put him to bed but he was too excited by the presence of all the strangers. Jeff and Laura were the last to leave before there was a knock on the door. Amelia went to answer it and shortly after Mel appeared in the doorway and Johnny got up to greet her and introduce the two women.

"Amelia, this is Madison's mom and my ex wife Melanie. Mel, this is Amelia."

The women shook hands politely before Amelia gestured for Mel to make herself comfortable. "It's nice to finally meet you Amelia. Madison's told me so much about you." Mel smiled as they sat side by side on the sofa.

Madison grinned proudly and Amelia smiled. "It's nice to meet you too. You have an amazing daughter."

"Thanks." Mel smiled, ruffling her daughter's hair. "You can tell she takes after her dad though. Are you ready to go kiddo?" Madison groaned unenthusiastically.

"There's cake in the kitchen. I'll go and wrap you some up." Amelia smiled, starting to get up.

"It's alright, I'll get it." Johnny offered as he was still on his feet and Madison followed him into the kitchen.

"When can we see Amelia and Brandon again dad?" Madison asked.

"I don't know Mads." Johnny laughed.

"Are you Amelia going out?" she continued her barrage of questions, staring at him curiously. Johnny shook his head and passed her the cake.

"Why not?"

"Madison, you're as bad as your mother!" Johnny laughed incredulously. His daughter ignored him and wandered back into the living room where Mel and Amelia were talking. Johnny thought he would tidy up a little bit for Amelia before he left. Once the kitchen looked reasonably tidy Johnny went to make his way back to them living room but as he heard the two female voices coming from the other room he stopped in his tracks. Past experiences had taught him that eavesdropping was a bad idea but for some reason he couldn't resist listening to the conversation between Amelia and Mel.

"So, you and Johnny hey?" He heard Mel say.

"What about us?"

"You're in love with him right?"

There was a long pause. "I...I don't know." Amelia said quietly.

"Really? Cos I thought..."

"There's nothing going on between us if that's what you mean."

The room went silent and Johnny felt his heart sink in his chest.


	44. Chapter 44

**AMELIA**

Since Brandon's birthday party Johnny seemed to be keeping his distance from Amelia. She wondered if he'd realised that kissing her after the meal had been a mistake. She knew they had both been drunk at the time but she had wanted it to happen and was glad it did. Kissing Johnny was amazing, even after all this time. The idea that he regretted it made Amelia feel incredibly embarrassed and angry with herself, so much so that she hadn't been able to bring herself to text or call him. The most contact they had had that week was a quick hello when passing one another in the office.

To top it off, Shanna had spotted an article in a celebrity gossip magazine speculating over the split between Amelia and Bam. Apparently Bam had been spotted in compromising positions with several girls back in Westchester and coupled with the photos that had been snapped of Amelia in LA, it wasn't hard to put two and two together. There was one photo of Amelia and Johnny leaving the restaurant on Saturday night but thankfully nothing had been made of it, Amelia thought examining the caption. _'Mrs Margera seems to have left Westchester for sunny LA and is seen here accompanied by the couple's close friend, movie star Johnny Knoxville who must be comforting her through this difficult time'._

"I didn't realise it was such a big deal." Amelia frowned, reading over the article again. It was only a hundred words or so but the photographs accompanying the article were what really bothered her. She had no idea that there had been photographers around. She would have to remember to be more careful in future. Being in LA was not like quiet Westchester. She could only be thankful that there were no shots of her in compromising situations with Johnny. That would really have got them going.

"I guess Bam's show is really taking off so he must be hot stuff at the moment. " Shanna said. "You know the press will jump at anything involving a celebrity, especially relationship-wise, and the picture with PJ is a given. They love him."

Amelia nodded. "Nice to know Bam's out enjoying himself." She added bitterly, earning her a comforting pat on the shoulder from Shanna.

"It's not like its big news. It's probably all over the internet on those gossip column sites, but other than that I doubt people are that interested." Shanna reasoned, trying to make her feel better.

"Hey Amelia, you're famous!" Rick shouted, brandishing a copy of said magazine as he strode across the staffroom. Amelia groaned and planted her head on the table. It was bad enough that everyone she worked with knew about her private life, but now the whole world, or at least that which was concerned with Bam and the celebrity culture would.

In an attempt to take her mind off it she had been spending her spare time getting to know Laura and the girls around the office better. It was nice to have some female company after spending the past three or four years playing babysitter to a bunch of grown up kids. Amelia had also been continuing her visits to Steve at least three times a week and she was so proud of Steve for the progress he had made. He had been sober for five months and he was looking good for it.

"I see you took my advice and let your hair grow." Amelia smiled, running her hand along Steve's head. "You look so much better with hair." She thought of how rough and scary he had looked with a shaven head. His eyes no longer had dark rings underneath them and he had put on a bit of weight so that his cheeks did not look so sunken in. He was finally back to his former attractive self.

Steve laughed and batted her hand away. "Yeah I know I'm sexy there's no need to make a big deal about it!" He exclaimed, picking up his skateboard and proceeding to perform a trick, which he landed perfectly. It was a warm June night so they were outside enjoying the heat. "What's up Meels? You've been miserable all week." Steve asked after landing a few more tricks.

Amelia sat back on the bench and watched Steve skate, debating whether or not to bother Steve with her own troubles. "He's avoided me all week." She sighed. She had already told Steve about 'the date' earlier in the week, including the kiss.

"Need I ask who?" Steve shook his head and sat down beside her, resting his feet on his board and rolling it from side to side. He still had the inability to sit still. "I would say that Knoxville's a fucking dick if it would make you feel better but the truth is you're as bad as each other."

Amelia looked at Steve and raised her eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Come on Amelia. This is the 21st century. If you like him, which you do, then tell him." Steve shook his head and held his hands up. "It's simple!"

Amelia sighed. If only it was that easy, but after suffering one heartbreak with Bam she wasn't sure if she was ready to put her heart back on the line just yet, especially as she couldn't be sure how Johnny felt.

"Don't look at me like that woman. Do you want me to kick both your asses?" Steve warned as Amelia did not respond, his eyes wide and serious. "It's not as if he's gonna knock you back. The guy's got it bad for you."

"Then why has he been avoiding me?" She looked at Steve exasperatedly. "I keep getting mixed signals from him. One minute we're best friends, the next it's like I've got the plague or something."

"Because he feels exactly the same as you!" Steve slapped his head dramatically. "Honestly, you guys think I have issues? Try looking in the mirror."

"I know, this is ridiculous Steve." Amelia shook her head. "What's happened to me? Why is nothing ever simple."

"Cos you're Amelia Jones and you're a fuck up like me." Steve said simply. "Aw come here you crazy bitch I was only joking." Steve laughed seeing the look of defeat on Amelia's face and pulled her into a bone crushing hug. "I love you even if nobody else does."

"Gee thanks Steve. Way to make a girl feel good about herself!" Amelia joked, burying her head into Steve's shoulder.

"So are you going to go the premiere?" he asked, not entirely changing the subject.

"What premiere?" Amelia replied, feigning ignorance.

"Knoxville's. It's in a few weeks right?"

"Oh yeah." She pretended to remember. "I uh, don't know if it's a good idea."

"Why the hell not?"

Amelia pulled a copy of the celebrity magazine out of her bag and showed Steve the page containing her photo.

"Nice one Amelia. " Steve congratulated her. It was not the reaction she had been expecting. "I had to do a lot more to get my mug in the magazines. But I don't see how that makes going to the premiere a bad idea?"

Amelia shook her head. "If they keep seeing photos of Johnny and I together they will eventually put two and two together, which is really bad considering I'm still married to Bam. I don't want to be the centre of attention."

"Well you kind of signed up for that when you married Bam." Steve reminded her.


	45. Chapter 45

**JOHNNY**

"What the fuck is going on PJ?"

Johnny removed his shades and stared at Jeff in confusion. He had barely taken two steps into the office before Jeff had stopped him in his tracks. Johnny groaned. It was too early in the morning for confrontations and his head was hurting after a night of heavy drinking with his cousin Roger. Not only had it been a wild family night out, it had also provided Johnny with a distraction from Amelia.

"You know exactly what I mean. You and Amelia are both sulking around the place and quite frankly it's doing my head in." Jeff said plainly, folding his arms on his desk and looking like he meant business.

Johnny collapsed into his own chair and banged his head on the desk. "I need coffee." It was definitely too early for this kind of confrontation.

"Stop avoiding the question." Jeff warned him, giving Johnny his most authoritative stare.

"Stop being bossy." Johnny responded without moving his head from the desk.

Jeff couldn't help but laugh. "If I wasn't bossy nothing would ever get done around this place."

"Touché." Johnny conceded, finally lifting his head wearily as if it was a heavy weight. "Please can I have some coffee and then we'll talk?"

Jeff nodded and pushed a polystyrene cup towards him. "I heard Roger was in town so I took the liberty of preparing you a hangover cure." He explained, tossing a packet of painkillers over to Johnny. "I was hoping we would actually get some work done today."

Johnny smiled guiltily and washed the tablets down with a lukewarm gulp of coffee. It was his own fault. If he had arrived in the offices on time it would still have been warm.

"So..." Jeff looked at Johnny expectantly. "Are you going to explain why you two have been avoiding one another for the past two weeks?"

Johnny shrugged. "She said it herself, there's nothing going on between us."

"She told you that?" Jeff raised his eye brows disbelievingly.

"Well..." Johnny scratched his head and realised he wasn't quite giving Jeff the whole picture. He proceeded to tell Jeff about overhearing the conversation between Amelia and Mel.

"Are you really that dense Knoxville?" Jeff sighed exasperatedly when Johnny had finished.

Johnny frowned. "What?" There was surely no need for Jeff to be so rude.

"Do you really expect Amelia to open up to Mel after meeting her for a matter of minutes? Besides which, she's hardly going to admit she's in love with you to your ex wife is she?"

Johnny was quiet. He had never thought of it that way, but then again, it didn't explain why Amelia had been avoiding him.

"Seriously PJ, your love life is starting to resemble some bad teenage TV series. 'Will they, won't they?' As your friend, it's frustrating to watch. I know how crazy you've been about her right from the start. At New Year I thought it was finally a dead certain that you were going to get together; I mean you got the hard part out of the way right? You told her you love her and she said it back so surely that should have been the end of it right? But no, you were an idiot and you let her go back to Bam. And then I was sure that the little stunt I pulled with the restaurant would have done the trick but both of you are so incredibly blind, I can see I'm going to have to bang your heads together and hope it knocks some sense into you."

Johnny grimaced as Jeff reflected on the absurdity of his relationship with Amelia. The worst thing was, Jeff was right. He had let her go too many times. As this realisation swept over Johnny he felt incredibly weary and not just due to his hangover. He was tired of trying to the right thing by everyone. It was time he threw caution to the wind and thought about himself for once.

"Have you spoken to Amelia?" Johnny wondered if she was going to be subjected to a similar rant.

"No, that's your job." Jeff told him in no uncertain terms. "I feel like I should be a relationship counsellor or something." Jeff sighed, shaking his head.

"Maybe you should. You and Laura have a great relationship." Johnny smiled.

"It's because we're honest with each other about everything." Jeff winked. "Anyway, we're not here to talk about me. Have you seen this?" Jeff passed a glossy magazine towards Johnny. It was open and folded at a specific page. Johnny examined the article in question and scrutinised the photograph of him and Amelia leaving the restaurant the other weekend. He bit his lip with anger as he scanned over the pictures of Bam with other women.

"As you can imagine, Amelia's not particularly overjoyed about this. " Jeff interrupted his thoughts. "It's bad enough that she knows what Bam has been up to, but now so does everybody else. I suggest you live up to the caption and 'comfort her through this difficult time'."

Johnny nodded absent mindedly as he wrestled with the desire to go and find Amelia and see if she was ok.

"So, just to make sure you spend some time together, I've talked to Rick and Dimitry and Amelia's going to fill in for Dimitry when you shoot 'One Bourbon, One Scotch, One Beer' for the next couple of weeks."

Johnny's eyes widened at the thought of practically working one on one with Amelia and he remembered that there was supposed to be a meeting regarding that segment of the website that very morning. Right on cue the door to their office creaked open and Amelia and Dimitry entered. Johnny looked up to find himself staring into Amelia's beautiful green eyes. She smiled apologetically as she and Dimitry sat down around the desk.

As they discussed the segment and who they would interview, there was no awkwardness between Amelia and Johnny, for which Johnny was very glad. He was looking forward to working with her at the same time as hopefully working out their feelings for one another.

Once the meeting was over, the four of them filed out of the office for a coffee, or in Amelia and Dimitry's case a smoke break. Johnny hurried to catch up with Amelia as she made her way out of the building. "Hey." He smiled awkwardly. "Can I crash one of those off you?" he asked as Amelia started to light her cigarette.

"Sure, but I thought you quit?" she eyed him suspiciously and held out the packet for him to help himself.

Johnny shrugged. "Blame Jeff, he's bad for my nerves." It was true.

"I'll let you off then." She smiled and handed him the lighter.

They stood side by side and smoked their cigarettes in silence. Johnny was trying to think of something to say that would make up for him avoiding her for the past two weeks. By now, however, Amelia and Johnny were more than familiar with prolonged episodes of no contact and Amelia beat him to it.

"So, I was wondering if the invitation to your premiere was still open."

Johnny grinned. "Only for you."


	46. Chapter 46

**AMELIA**

The sound of Amelia's buzzer rang through the apartment signalling the arrival of Laura. It was the afternoon of Johnny's premiere and she had come to help Amelia get ready and subsequently babysit Brandon. Amelia answered the door in her dressing gown with a towel round her recently washed hair and Laura bounced excitedly into the apartment, brandishing her hand in Amelia's face.

"Jeff just asked me to marry him!" Laura squealed with excitement, continuing to wave her hand around.

Amelia's jaw dropped and she grabbed Laura's hand so she could take a good look at the ring. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, examining the huge diamond. "Congratulations! Were you expecting it?"

Laura shook her head. "No! But I'm so happy! We're having a Christmas wedding!"

Amelia grinned and hugged Laura. She was over the moon for her and Jeff. They were the perfect couple and she knew they would be very happy together. It was only three in the afternoon but Amelia hurried into the kitchen and produced a bottle of wine from the fridge. "I believe celebrations are in order!" She exclaimed, returning to the living room with the bottle and two large wine glasses.

Laura giggled from where she was now sitting on the sofa with Brandon on her lap and she gratefully accepted a glass. "Right, enough about me. Tonight is your big night!" she announced, producing a large garment bag seemingly out of nowhere. Amelia had been too preoccupied with Laura's engagement ring to notice anything else.

Amelia eyes the bag suspiciously as she took a sip of wine. "What's in there?"

Laura laughed at Amelia's confusion. "What did you think you were going to wear tonight exactly?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. Brandon laughed.

Amelia shrugged. "The same dress I wore for Number Two." She replied and instantly realised that this was the wrong answer from the look of horror on Laura's face.

"Seriously?" Laura shook her head. "You can't wear the same dress for two premieres, especially as the press will be all over you this time."

"Thanks for reminding me." Amelia groaned. Since the first article the other week there had been a steady flow of stories in the magazines about Bam and Amelia. She had been careful enough not to be seen in public with Johnny until now but there was no avoiding tonight. Amelia realised that attending the premiere as Johnny's date was going to attract so much unwanted media attention it was better not to think about it.

"I don't see what the problem is." Laura shrugged. "You and Bam have split up. You're perfectly within your rights to see other people, I mean, he certainly is."

"Yeah but I'm not seeing anyone else!" Amelia reminded her in frustration and taking a large gulp of wine to steady her nerves.

"Maybe not yet, but hopefully by the end of tonight you will be." Laura grinned mischievously. "If not then there will be bloodshed at the office on Monday morning. Jeff's words, not mine."

"Lucky for me I'll be in England by then." Amelia reminded her. She had finally bitten the bullet and booked tickets for her and Brandon to fly home and spend some time with her parents for a while. Jeff himself had told her to take as much time off as she needed so she had not bothered booking a return flight. While she was looking forward to seeing her parents for the first time since the wedding, she uncertain where this would leave her and Johnny, especially if anything should happen tonight.

"He told me you'd say that and he also told me to say he is prepared to fly over to England personally and kick your ass." Laura smiled happily. "So you and Knox had better set things straight tonight. I don't want to lose a bridesmaid before we've even chosen the dresses!"

"Bridesmaid?" Amelia gawped at Laura in surprise. The two women had only really known each other for a few months. She couldn't believe Laura wanted her as a bridesmaid.

"Yes." Laura smiled. "So you better make sure Jeff leaves you in one piece and that you're back in LA before December."

Amelia reached over and hugged Laura. "Anyway, forget that old dress. I have something for you." Laura clapped her hands together authoritatively, reminding Amelia of Jeff. She could see why they got on so well.

Amelia stared at her friend dubiously. "A dress?"

Laura nodded excitedly. "Yes. It's a gift from Johnny. I helped him choose it. Well, he picked it out; I just got your size."

Amelia felt her stomach somersault nervously at the thought of Johnny choosing a dress for her. She was anxious to see it but Laura cut in before she had chance to ask. "It's a surprise. You can't see it until I've done your hair and makeup and you're all ready to go."

"You can't do that to me." Amelia moaned. The anticipation would kill her.

"Not my rules, Johnny's." Laura smiled and sipped her own wine. "Now, I suggest we get started on that mane of yours." She pointed to the towel around Amelia's hair.

Two and a half hours, two bottles of wine and a can of hairspray later, Laura was finished with Amelia and she stood back to examine her masterpiece. Branond had grown bored with the two women and was watching cartoons on the television. "Can I look in the mirror yet?" Amelia demanded. She had been sitting in the same position all evening and she had still not seen her dress. Johnny was supposed to be picking her up in half an hour.

"No." Laura laughed. "But you can go and put your dress on." She shooed Amelia out of the chair and followed her into the bedroom with the garment bag.

Amelia stood back nervously as Laura hung the bag on the wardrobe and unzipped it. Amelia gasped at the floor length emerald blue evening gown. It was strapless and from how tiny it looked she could tell it was going to figure hugging. It was absolutely beautiful and the fact that Johnny had chosen it personally filled Amelia's stomach with butterflies. "Well what are you waiting for!" Laura demanded. "Put it on!"

Amelia laughed. "But it's so tiny!" she exclaimed, glancing at the label. She was dubious as to whether or not she would actually fit into it. She was sure that Laura had gotten her a size too small.

"Don't be silly Amelia, you are tiny!" Laura shook her head and to Amelia's surprise she slipped into the dress easily. It was a perfect fit. Amelia realised slightly guiltily that she had lost so much weight. Back in England she had been a healthy and curvy size twelve in UK sizing but he stress that had come from the job, or rather Bam, had seen her drop two dress sizes.

"Can I look in the mirror now?" Amelia pleaded with Laura as she stared down at the dress. She had glanced at the clock and Johnny would be here very soon. Laura nodded and opened the wardrobe for Amelia to examine her appearance in the full length mirror that hung inside the door.

Amelia gasped. The woman in the reflection was beautiful and Amelia struggled to believe that she was actually looking at herself. Laura had styled her hair into loose, thick curls which cascaded down her back and shoulders and the dark makeup complimented the deep blue of the dress, which hugged and accentuated her curves. The star necklace that Johnny had given her on New Year's Eve hung delicately around her neck. "Thank you Laura, you've made me look beautiful." She laughed gratefully.

"Don't be silly, you always look beautiful. Now here's a little present from me. Think of them as a good luck charm for tonight." She winked.

Amelia struggled not to cry as Laura handed her a shoe box, revealing a pair of matching sapphire stilettos. As Amelia slipped them on and thanked Laura, she realised that she had not felt this good about herself in a long time. She felt lucky to have such a good friend as Laura, and just as lucky to have Johnny in her life. Laura snapped a few pictures of Amelia on camera before the two women made their way back to the living room where Brandon was still watching his cartoons to wait for Johnny. Amelia paced backwards and forwards from a mixture of nerves and the need to break her shoes in before they broke her neck. Not only was she nervous about the press, but she was also anxious as to what would happen between her and Johnny.

"Would you relax Amelia! You're making me nervous!" Laura exclaimed, holding Brandon in her arms. "Tell mommy she looks beautiful." She said to him, grinning.

"Beautiful!" Brandon exclaimed, pointing at Amelia. Before Amelia could react the buzzer sounded and her heart practically leapt out of her chest. "I'll get it." Laura walked towards the front door and laughed at the expression of terror on Amelia's face.

"Hey Laura, I believe congratulations are in order!" a familiar voice rang out from the hallway.

"Hey Johnny. She's all ready for you." Amelia heard Laura say. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before Johnny entered the apartment. When she opened them Johnny was standing by the door with a huge smile on his face. He was dressed in a black suit and tie with a white shirt and smart shoes rather than his usual Converse and his eyes were not masked by sunglasses for a change.

"Amelia, you look beautiful." He said softly, staring at her in awe.

"Thank you for the dress." She told him quietly, overcome with nerves. "I love it."

"I'm glad." he smiled as Laura handed Amelia her clutch bag and kissed her on the cheek.

"Have a great night and I'll see you in the morning for all the details!" Laura sang happily.

Amelia hugged Laura and kissed Brandon on the cheek before following Johnny out of the apartment. At the sight of the white stretch Limo waiting outside for them, reality sank in and Amelia felt herself start to shake with anxiety. The calming effect of the wine had worn off as soon as Amelia had seen Johnny.

"Are you ok Amelia?" he asked, holding the door open for her to climb in.

All she could do was nod as he slid in next to her. She remembered the last time that she had been in a Limo was for the Jackass premiere and it had been Bam sitting beside her and holding her hand rather than Johnny. She took several deep breaths and squeezed Johnny's hand tightly as the Limo set off. "I'm just stupidly nervous. " She laughed feebly once she had calmed down a little. "I hate being in front of the camera."

"Don't worry about anything." He told her gently. "I'll handle the press and as soon as we've done the whole red carpet thing we can have a good time." Johnny poured the two of them a glass of champagne from the mini bar in the Limo and snaked his arm around her, pulling her closer. The warmth of his body was comforting and she felt herself start to relax. It was easy to feel safe and reassured in Johnny's presence.

It wasn't long until they arrived at the cinema that would be hosting the premiere and all Amelia could see was the constant flashing of cameras. To her surprise, before the door of the Limo opened to reveal Johnny and Amelia to the masses, Johnny leaned over and pressed his lips against Amelia's. They kissed briefly before Johnny pulled away and the sound of people cheering filled Amelia's ears. She felt Johnny grab her hand and before she knew it she was pulled from the car and standing side by side with Johnny in front of a sea of cameras. After the initial wave of terror, nausea, and faintness had passed, it really wasn't that bad, Amelia thought. Johnny kept a hand on the small of her back as they made their way down the carpet and stopped to talk to fans and press alike. Amelia was in too much of a trance to process what Johnny was saying to the press and she was glad that she couldn't hear any questions about their relationship.

Once the hard part was over and they were safely inside the cinema, Amelia's nerves switched focus to what was going on between her and Johnny. He had kissed her in the Limo, of that she was certain and it could only be a good sign. She had decided to take the advice of her friends, particularly that of Steve and she was going to finally confront Johnny about what was going on between them. Little did she know that he was thinking along the same lines.

The film was good and Johnny's acting was brilliant but Amelia struggled to stay focused as she waited anxiously for an opportunity to talk to Johnny. After the screening the guests made their way to the bar next door for the after party and following some small talk with Johnny's co stars and the crew they found themselves outside on the terrace where people were sitting around smoking and drinking. "I think we need to talk." Amelia told Johnny as she pulled a packet of cigarettes from her purse.

"Yeah we do."


	47. Chapter 47

**JOHNNY**

Johnny stared expectantly at Amelia, waiting for her to go first as he was curious as to what she wanted to talk about before he said his own piece. In retrospect he should have seen it coming.

"Johnny. I love you." She sighed gently, looking up at him through her big green eyes and stubbing her cigarette out on the ground. "I made a huge mistake by going back to Bam and I would do anything to change that. What we had at New Year was amazing and I can't believe I was so blind and stupid as to walk away from you. I'm not very good at relationships or talking about my feelings but I need you to know how completely and utterly I am in love with you. I want to be with you so badly that it hurts and not a day goes by that you are not on my mind. It kills me when we don't talk and I can't take it anymore. Philip John Clapp I fucking love you and I want to be with you, if you'll have me." She took a deep breath and stared at the floor, unable to bring herself to watch for his reaction.

Johnny continued to stare at her. He had not expected to hear his own speech pretty much recited back to him and now he didn't know what to say. She had taken the words out of his mouth. "Amelia..." he hesitated. "I fucking love you too." And with that he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly, burying his face into her hair.

"You had me worried for a minute there." She laughed hopelessly into his chest before pulling back and looking up at him. "I don't know what I would have done if you'd told me to get lost. It's not like I can run in these shoes."

"Don't be daft Amelia, as if I'd ever tell you to get lost." He smiled, stroking her hair. "I was going to say exactly the same thing to you but you beat me to it. I'm fed up of us tiptoeing around one another. Jeff was right when he said we needed our heads banging together."

Amelia smiled back and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Johnny felt as if he might burst with happiness. Now he had her he was not going to let her go, and this time he meant it. "I could do with a strong drink." Amelia said, finally untangling herself from him.

"Me too." Johnny agreed and he stopped a passing waiter who was carrying a tray of wine.

"I kind of feel like I'm dreaming." Amelia admitted, as she and Johnny stood arm in arm, sipping their wine and staring out into the night. "It's too good to be true."

Johnny nuzzled her head. "Let's make the most of it before the wolves descend."

"The press or Jeff?" Amelia laughed quietly.

"Both." Johnny grinned, looking over his shoulder. "Speaking of which, there's some photographers here tonight but they won't bother us too much. Come on, let's get it over and done with."

Johnny and Amelia turned around and found themselves face to face with the lens of a camera. Johnny slipped his arm around Amelia in a friendly manner and they smiled for a few shots before the photographer moved on to the next celebrity.

As it started to get late, Johnny and Amelia made their excuses and decided to call it a night. They were only slightly tipsy from several glasses of wine and Johnny was working up the courage to ask Amelia back to his for the night. The driver was waiting outside the bar for them and they climbed back into the Limo, relieved to have some privacy. Johnny had barely sat down when Amelia scooted over to him and planted a kiss on his lips. Without breaking contact Johnny pulled her into his lap and kissed her back passionately as the Limo set off. He tried not to moan out loud as she ran her fingers through his hair and nibbled his lip.

"You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this." She giggled into his ear as she pulled away, her hot breath ticking his neck.

"Try me." He grinned, pushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. God, she was so beautiful, Johnny thought as he stared deeply into her eyes. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as she stroked his cheek gently.

"Since the day we met." She whispered before kissing him softly again. "Which would make it, oh, nearly four years and finally I can be with you, guilt free."

"That long huh?" he joked, brushing his nose against her cheek affectionately. "I guess we have a lot of time to make up for then?" Johnny grinned. "Stay with me tonight? I don't think I can bear to be away from you any longer."

Amelia nodded quietly and buried her head in his chest as Johnny informed the driver that there would only be one stop tonight. In a matter of minutes the Limo pulled up outside Johnny's house and he led Amelia inside. "Make yourself comfortable, I'll get us something to drink." Johnny told Amelia, before heading straight into the kitchen. He realised he was shaking from the mixture of anxiety and anticipation of what would happen next. He felt like a nervous, inexperienced teenager all over again and he poured himself a small glass of whisky to calm himself down.

When he returned to the living room, Amelia was sitting on the sofa and rubbing her feet in relief, having taken off her shoes. She seemed perfectly calm and more confident that he had seen her in a while. Johnny passed her a glass of wine and sat down beside her, taking his own shoes and jacket off.

"I feel slightly overdressed for a night cap on your sofa." Amelia laughed, looking down at her dress.

"Hey didn't I tell you, its formal attire for the whole night." Johnny winked, taking a large gulp of wine.

"I must have missed that part of the invitation." She laughed.

Amelia and Johnny continued to joke and chat for a while, until the bottle of wine had been consumed and any nerves on both their parts had disappeared. They had migrated to the outdoor terrace overlooking Johnny's swimming pool as it was a warm night and the sky was so clear that they could stare up at the stars. Amelia leaned against the balcony wall and looked out into the distance. "I love LA." She smiled. "I think moving here is one of the best things I ever did."

"I'll second that." Johnny said softly, standing behind her and leaning his head over her shoulder to kiss her cheek. Amelia twisted around to face him.

"I want to go swimming." She grinned.

Johnny laughed incredulously. "Swimming? At this time?"

Amelia nodded. "All the times I've been here I've never tried out your pool." She explained.

"Well go ahead and be my guest." Johnny laughed. Amelia did not need to be told twice and hurried inside the house where Johnny assumed she must be taking her dress off. She reappeared a few moments later dressed in nothing but her underwear and one of his old t-shirts.

"You're really going swimming? He repeated, following her down the steps to the pool and trying hard not to stare at her bare legs.

"Oh yes. "she grinned, stopping on the edge of the pool, which was dimly illuminated by the outdoor lights. "And so are you." And with that she pushed an unsuspecting Johnny straight into the swimming pool.

The impact of the cool water took Johnny by surprise and when he resurfaced he saw Amelia still standing on the side of the pool. He roared with laughter, both shocked an impressed with her little stunt. Obviously working with the guys for so long had rubbed off on her. "I think you'd better get your pretty little ass in here now." Johnny shouted up at her. "Or there'll be trouble."

Amelia jumped gracefully into the pool, splashing water over Johnny in the process and when she came to the surface she was right in front of him. The water had turned the white t-shirt see through and Johnny tried to keep his eyes on her face rather than her chest. Amelia turned and started to swim a few lengths while Johnny floated in the middle of the pool, watching her in amusement. Eventually she came to a stop and drifted into his arms. She wiped her wet hair from her face before wrapping her own arms around his neck and kissing him softly. Johnny felt his body come alive with electricity as Amelia held onto him tightly and he deepened the kiss. She was stroking the back of his neck and it was driving him crazy so he slid his hands under the back of the t-shirt she was wearing to give her a taste of her own medicine. She moaned into the kiss and dug her fingernails into his shoulders as he massaged her back. It was pure ecstasy and as Amelia pulled herself up and wrapped her legs around Johnny's waist, he did not know how much longer he could take it.

Without warning Johnny stood up and climbed out of the pool with Amelia still wrapped around him. He carried her tiny frame quiet easily back into the house and they left a trail of water behind as they made their way to the bedroom. Before they reached the bed he returned Amelia to her feet and they laughed at one another in their soaking wet clothes. Amelia took a step closer to Johnny and slowly started to unbutton his wet shirt. Johnny tried to regulate his breathing as she put her hands on his bare chest and kissed his neck. He shrugged his shirt off and onto the floor before taking her in his arms and kissing her firmly on the lips. She lifted her own arms for him to slip the t-shirt over her head and he inhaled quickly at the sight of her bare body for the first time. She was perfect.

Amelia smiled nervously and self consciously as she stood exposed before Johnny but he pulled her closer into him before she could feel awkward and they continued to kiss passionately for what seemed like a lifetime. Johnny arched his back slightly in surprise as he felt Amelia reach forward and unbuckle his trousers. He remembered that the last time he had been with a woman was with Laura's friend Lucy and he felt inexplicably guilty, as if he had somehow betrayed Amelia. He was glad he had thrown out those sheets the day after. His days of womanising had been over for a long time and thinking of his past made his skin crawl a little. Still, this time would be different. This was special.

Johnny stepped out of his trousers and walked backwards to the bed with Amelia still in his arms. He hesitated for a second and looked at her to make sure she was ok. Amelia smiled tentatively and he pulled her gently down on top of him. The sensation of Amelia's bare skin against his set fireworks off throughout Johnny's body and after a few minutes of kissing he felt Amelia's hand travel to the waistband of his boxer shorts. He held his breath as she pulled them off.

**AMELIA (Just a warning that the next part includes slightly explicit content. You wont miss any important story information if you don't want to read it.)**

Amelia was not sure what had come over her to give her so much confidence, when deep down she was incredibly nervous. She had always been shy when it came to sex, but sex with Johnny seemed like an entirely different experience. The only explanation she could think of was that she had been secretly dreaming and fantasising about this moment for so long that now it had become a reality there was no way she was going to miss the opportunity. She was sure she had never felt this way about anyone before and it simultaneously scared and excited her. She felt Johnny tense as she pulled off his boxer shorts and she realised that he was just as nervous as she was. Not wanting to rush the moment, she returned her hands to his chest and marvelled at how toned and muscular his body was. She had always known he had an amazing physique but this was the first time she had been in such close contact with him.

After a few minutes of kissing and frustration for the both of them, Johnny rolled Amelia over so that he was now on top of her and in control, which excited her even more. She could feel the heat radiating from his body and it was driving her crazy. A tiny moan escaped her lips as Johnny stroked her breast. His touch sent shivers throughout her own body. This new kind of intimacy between them felt strange but at the same time so right. Johnny was both her best friend and the man she was in love with. She felt her heart start to pound rapidly in her chest as his hand travelled softly down her stomach to her underwear. He stopped just below her hip and hesitated.

He pulled away from kissing her and looked her in the eyes briefly. "I love you so much Amelia." He whispered into her ear. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

Amelia nodded, unable to find her voice. She wanted this so badly.


	48. Chapter 48 The End

**AMELIA**

Amelia woke up early the next morning and found herself in Johnny's arms, her head in the crook of his neck and her arms draped across his chest. They were both still naked from the night before and she sighed in content as she looked up at his beautiful face, relaxed in a peaceful sleep. She was sure she could lie here for ever given half the chance but her stomach sank as she remembered that she was flying back to England that day. Reluctantly she rolled over and climbed out of bed. She had plenty of time before her evening flight but she still had some packing to do. She sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hand through her hair, which was still damp from swimming. She smiled at the memory of their bodies intertwined in the moonlight.

Johnny stirred beside her and turned over so that he was facing Amelia. "Come back to bed." He moaned tiredly.

"I wish I could, but I'm going to England tonight, remember?" she sighed sadly, leaning over to kiss his cheek. Johnny took this opportunity to pull her back down into bed with him and she struggled for a moment but soon realised that she was powerless to resist. They kissed passionately before Amelia finally pulled away and she left Johnny in bed while she showered and dressed herself in another of Johnny's t-shirts and a pair of jogging bottoms that were far too big for her.

By the time she was ready to call a taxi Johnny had surfaced from the bedroom. He was waiting for Amelia in the kitchen, rubbing a hand over his stubble and dressed only in a pair of low slung boxer shorts. Amelia grinned at the sight of him and gratefully accepted the cup of coffee he had poured her. "How long are you going to be in England for?" Johnny asked, taking a seat at the counter opposite Amelia and taking a sip of his own coffee.

"I'm not really sure, but I won't stay for too long. Probably three weeks or so maximum." She told him. "It'll go fast and I'll be back before you know it." She wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure Johnny or herself. Before last night Amelia had been excited about returning to England but now that she and Johnny had finally sorted things out she wished she was staying in LA.

"I'll miss you." He smiled softly. "Don't forget about me."

"Don't be silly PJ." She smiled back. "How could I possibly forget you?" she slid down from her seat and walked over to him, planting a huge kiss on his lips. "Just think of how much we have to look forward to when I get back."

Johnny nodded happily and buried his head in her hair as they embraced. Before they knew it the sound of a car horn signalled that Amelia's taxi had arrived and they said their bittersweet goodbyes before she left.

Amelia returned to her apartment to find Brandon just waking up while Laura was still passed out on the sofa. She laughed and sat down on the end of sofa as she nudged her friend awake. It took Laura a few minutes to register where she was and what was happening but when she saw Amelia she squealed in excitement. "Welcome back you dirty stop out! Tell me everything immediately!"

"I need more coffee first, then we'll talk." Amelia laughed, making her way into the kitchen.

Once a big pot of coffee had been made and Brandon was up and dressed, Amelia sat back down on the sofa next to a considerably more alert looking Laura. "So?" Laura demanded impatiently. "What happened?"

Amelia proceeded to recall the night's events in as much detail as she thought Laura needed to hear. "Just cut to the chase to Amelia, did you sleep with him?" Laura shook her head in exasperation and stared at her friend in anticipation.

Amelia blushed and nodded slightly, feeling like a teenager all over again. Laura bounced up and down on the sofa in excitement. "Ah I'm so happy for you!" she giggled like a school girl. "How was it!"

Not wanting to give too much information, Amelia smiled coyly. "It was amazing." In truth, there were no words to describe it. Being with Johnny was so different from when she had been with Bam. Whereas Bam had always been aggressive, Johnny was incredibly gentle and passionate.

Laura beamed, she seemed more thrilled about the situation than both Amelia and Johnny combined. "So, are you dating then?"

Amelia shrugged and grinned. "We haven't really spoken about it as such but yeah, I guess we are."

"Well it's about time!" Laura exclaimed, pulling Amelia into a hug. "Jeff will be over the moon. Are you still going back to England?"

Amelia nodded. "I need to see my parents. It's been so long and they miss Brandon. I've not seen them since I left Bam."

Laura nodded understandingly. "Well pencil me in your busy schedule for a girly drink when you get back." She requested, tying her hair back into a messy ponytail and packing her handbag. "I'd better get back home. Jeff had some of the guys round last night and I'm sure there'll be a lovely mess to clean up."

Amelia laughed and saw Laura out. "Thanks for looking after Brandon. I'll give you a call when I'm home." She smiled and the two women said their goodbyes.

It was a beautiful summer's day and Amelia wished that she could be out in the sunshine at the beach, enjoying herself with Brandon and Johnny. It felt painful that now she and Johnny could be together she was going away, but at the same time she was excited for their future together once she returned. She spent the rest of the morning and afternoon packing for the trip to England and before she knew it, the time had come to go to the airport. As the taxi made its way through the streets of LA, Amelia stared out of the window, taking in the sights. She smiled contentedly. This was city was her home now.

LA airport held many memories for Amelia, mostly of arriving out of the blue after fighting with Bam. It had been her safe haven of sorts, but now it was the last place she wanted to be, and apparently Brandon felt the same. "We're going to see Gran and Granddad Brandon." Amelia smiled as enthusiastically as possible at her son, who was getting tetchy and tired. He did not look impressed. She looked up at the departures screen and saw that thankfully it would not be long before they could board the plane.

"Come on trouble, let's get you some sweets." She laughed, taking Brandon's hand and heading to the shop to give her a chance to stretch her legs before the long flight. She was just about to enter when she heard someone shouting.

"Amelia!"

Amelia looked around at the sound of her name. The voice was strangely familiar, in fact so familiar that it made her pulse quicken and her stomach somersault.

"Johnny!" she gasped in surprise at the sight of the tall, dark haired man wearing black Converse and sunglasses hurrying towards her. Her jaw dropped as he grew closer. He was the last person she had expected to see. "What are you doing here?" she asked incredulously once he had caught up with her.

"I can't handle losing you again Amelia." He said bluntly, removing his sunglasses and catching his breath. "I don't care about anything else any more; I just have to be with you."

"But Johnny..." Amelia started. She was interrupted by Brandon pulling away from her in an attempt to get closer to Johnny. She let go of the little boy's hand and he ran straight towards Johnny, who bent down and scooped Brandon into his arms.

"Hey there buddy." Johnny laughed as he embraced Brandon.

Amelia forgot what she was going to say and stared at Johnny and her son, fighting off the tears that were threatening to fall.

"Let me come to England with you." Johnny said softly, with Brandon still in his arms.

"Ok."

The End.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Thanks to everyone who has read this story and reviewed or favourited it! I am not done with Amelia just yet and there will be another sequel to follow very soon. I just thought that this was a fitting place to stop for now, so keep a look out for the next instalment! Thanks again and I would really appreciate to hear what you think of the story :) Also, I have a good idea of where the story is going but it would be interesting to hear what people think will happenwant to happen to Amelia in the future. Will she settle down with Johnny? Will they live happily ever after? What will Bam do? :)**_


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